December 13, 2020 12:00 pm
The transition period in cows is a critical time for herds in Ireland aiming to avoid clinical disease in early lactation.
Milk somatic cell count (SCC) levels above 100,000 mean you are losing money. On average mastitis costs farmers €60/cow/year (O’Brien et al., 2016). The major loss for high cell count is milk yield and milk quality penalties.
Subclinical mineral deficiency can adversely affect immunity in Irish herds leading to increased levels of transition diseases like mastitis. Addressing this issue could improve herd health nationally.
Years of research has documented how trace minerals are vital for disease prevention in cattle. Animals that are in poor mineral status may have poorer immunity.