How can sensors improve udder health?

Author: Kristine Piccart (ILVO), Richard Lloyd (IfA) - June 14, 2017

Mastitis is one of the most costly, and also one of the most frustrating diseases on a dairy farm. To reduce the somatic cell count and the amount of clinical mastitis cases, we first need to identify the underlying problem. Besides DHI records and bulk tank somatic cell count reports, can farm-specific sensor data provide some added value to evaluate udder health on a dairy farm? 

In this video, Kieran FitzGerald from DeLaval UK and Patrik Boner, a Swedish dairy farmer, describe how the HerdNavigator technology can analyse a small sample of milk for LDH and alert the farmer of sub-clinical and clinical mastitis. Richard Shepherd from Hilltop farm in Cheshire demonstrates how the SCR technology measures rumination and how this can be used to monitor the progress of mastitis treatment. Finally, Anna Arvidsson demonstrates a California milk test, and how you can use this simple test to confirm mastitis.