Prevention of post weaning mastitis in ewes

The efficacy of a dry cow cerate in protecting the dry ewe against mastitis was tested in three flocks. Of 931 ewes, 462 were infused, shortly after their lambs were weaned, with a dry cow cerate containing 1 g procaine penicillin and 0.5 g dihydrostreptomycin sulphate. The remaining 469 served as untreated controls. At tupping, when the sheep were examined for clinical evidence of mastitis, 21 cases (4.5 per cent) were recorded among the controls but only seven (1.5 per cent) among the treated ewes. There was variation in the distribution of cases between individual flocks but overall the incidence of mastitis in the treated sheep was lower and significantly different from that among the control ewes.