Problem of increased cell counts

High levels of somatic cells in milk cause considerable problems for dairy farms. In North Rhine-Westphalia, for example, the average cell count for milk delivered in recent years has been between 220,000 and 240,000 cells. In most federal states, only around 15 per cent of all farms are below the target value of 100,000 cells.

Financial losses

Increased cell counts of 225,000 cells result in milk losses of one kilogramme per cow per day. Every year, milk losses due to udder diseases, reduced quality, high culling rates and increased veterinary costs lead to financial losses for farmers. Higher labour costs due to longer milking times must also be taken into account. Udder diseases are still one of the main reasons for cows leaving the herd prematurely.

Overview of cell content

The cell content of the total milk provides an essential overview of the udder health of individual cows. The cell content of udderly healthy animals is known to fluctuate around 100,000 cells per millilitre of milk. The cell content is checked as standard at every milk yield check. For this reason alone, no farmer should do without the monthly milk yield check.

Causes of pathogens

Mastitis pathogens can enter the udder and trigger an inflammation, especially if unfavourable environmental influences such as poor milking hygiene, faulty milking equipment, inadequate feeding or poor husbandry play a role. A distinction is made between cow-associated path ogens(S. aureus, S. dysgalactiae, S. galactiae) and environmentally associated pathogens(E. coli, S. uberis).