Mastitis costs more than almost anything else in a small dairy operation, because it takes the milk, the udder quarter, and sometimes the animal.
Most of the prevention is unglamorous:
- Clean hands and a clean udder before milking
- Full milking out at every milking -- milk left behind is where it starts
- Dipping teats after milking
- A dry, clean place to lie down, because the animal lies down straight after milking while the teat canal is still open
- Milking the healthy animals before the infected ones
- Not sharing a cloth between animals
Early signs are clots or flakes in the first squirts, a hard or hot quarter, watery milk, and a drop in yield before anything looks wrong.
What is your routine, how many animals, and have you had a case that cost you a quarter? What did your vet use, and did it work?