Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-18T17:04:38.405Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Subclinical mastitis in dairy cows in Swiss organic and conventional production systems

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2006

Markus Roesch ,
Marcus G Doherr ,
Walter Schären ,
Melchior Schällibaum  and
Jürg W Blum
Markus Roesch
Affiliation:
Division of Nutrition and Physiology, Institute of Animal Genetics, Nutrition and Housing, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland Present address: Clinic for Ruminants, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
Marcus G Doherr
Affiliation:
Department Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
Walter Schären
Affiliation:
Swiss Federal Research Station for Animal Production and Dairy Products, CH-3097 Liebefeld-Bern, Switzerland
Melchior Schällibaum
Affiliation:
Swiss Federal Research Station for Animal Production and Dairy Products, CH-3097 Liebefeld-Bern, Switzerland
Jürg W Blum
Affiliation:
Division of Nutrition and Physiology, Institute of Animal Genetics, Nutrition and Housing, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The objective was to compare the prevalence of subclinical mastitis (SM) and of udder pathogens in 60 Swiss organic (OP) and 60 conventional production systems (CP). Cows (n=970) were studied for SM prevalence and udder pathogens at median 31 d and 102 d post partum. Cows showing a [ges ]1+ positive California Mastitis Test (CMT) in at least one quarter were considered to have SM. Cow-level prevalences of SM for visits at 31 d and 102 d post partum (39% and 40% in OP and 34% and 35% in CP) were similar, but quarter-level prevalences of SM were higher (P<0·02) in OP than CP (15% and 18% in OP and 12% and 15% in CP). Median somatic cell counts in milk at 31 d post partum were higher (P<0·05) in OP than CP cows (43000 and 28000 cells/ml, respectively), but were similar at 102 d post partum in OP and CP cows (45000 and 38000 cells/ml, respectively). In milk samples from quarters showing a CMT reaction [ges ]2+ the prevalences of coagulase negative staphylococci were lower (P<0·05) at 102 d post partum, whereas prevalences of non-agalactiae streptococci were higher (P<0·05) in OP than in CP cows at 31 d and 102 d post partum. In conclusion, under Swiss conditions, subclinical mastitis is a greater problem in organic than in conventional production systems, but differences are not marked.

Keywords

Dairy cowsubclinical mastitisorganic farming
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Dairy Research , Volume 74 , Issue 1 , February 2007 , pp. 86 - 92
Copyright
Proprietors of Journal of Dairy Research 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)