Effectiveness of educational efforts in implementing mastitis control procedures in commercial dairy herds

One hundred-fifty diarymen in north-eastern Ohio, whose herds had a history of persistently high Wisconsin Mastitis Test scores, were invited to participate in this project, with 43 agreeing to do so. These dairymen were divided into two experimental groups and one control group to determine the effectiveness of two intensities of educational effort on adoption of mastitis control procedures and to demonstrate the effectiveness of mastitis control recommendations. A teat dipping and dry cow therapy program was adopted by more herds in the group with intense educational effort than in the intermediate or control group. Percents of herds in each group utilizing this program in 1977 (start of project), 1978, and 1979 were 8, 75, and 92 for the intense group; 30, 50, and 50 for the intermediate group; and 10, 27, and 27 for the control group. Prevalence of infection declined more rapidly in the intense group with 42, 28, and 24% of cows infected; 39, 25, and 30% in the intermedia, and 56, 35, and 42% in the control group in 1977, 1978, and 1979. Those herds adopting a teat dipping and dry cow therapy program had infection prevalence of 41, 25, and 20% of cows; bulk tank Wisconsin Mastitis Test scores of 15.5, 14.7, and 11.4; and milk production per cow per day of 18.4, 18.4, and 17.5 kg in 1977, 1978, and 1979.