Use of the Fossomatic Somatic Cell Counts in a Mastitis Control Program ¹

Area of Science:

• Dairy Science
• Animal Health
• Mastitis Detection

Background:

• Somatic cell count (SCC) is a key indicator of bovine udder health and milk quality.
• Early detection of mastitis is crucial for maintaining herd productivity and milk yield.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate the Fossomatic method for determining somatic cell counts in individual cow milk samples.
• To analyze initial SCC data within the Virginia Dairy Herd Improvement testing program.
• To provide guidance for dairymen on interpreting SCC results.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Fossomatic instrument for automated SCC determination.
• Collected and analyzed milk samples from a large cohort of cows within a structured testing program.
• Applied statistical analysis to categorize SCC data for cows and herds.

Main Results:

• The average SCC was 449,060 cells/ml across 113,735 observations in the first six months.
• Initially, 47.9% of cows had SCC below 150,000 cells/ml.
• Herd-level analysis indicated 66% averaged less than 500,000 cells/ml, with a calculated 5% milk production loss due to infections.

Conclusions:

• The Fossomatic method provides a reliable tool for monitoring udder health through SCC.
• Initial data suggests a baseline SCC distribution, with potential for improvement in certain herds.
• Understanding SCC interpretation is vital for effective mastitis management and optimizing milk production.