Among the many new facilities offered by the CombiFoss 7 is an advanced form of somatic cell count analysis for better management of mastitis in dairy cattle, for instance, by allowing earlier detection of the disease and a more rational use of antibiotics on the farm.
A new tool to tackle mastitis in dairy herds
A rapid test for the total somatic cell count in a milk sample was introduced by FOSS in the 1980s. It has provided a good indication of mastitis and has helped to more than halve the incidence of the disease in dairy herds around the world. Despite the progress, on average 50 mastitis cases per 100 cows per year still occur and more indicators are required for better mastitis management.
Affected cows produce less milk and often need to be treated with antibiotics. In this case, their milk cannot enter the food chain and the discarded milk can easily add up to 100-300 kg. Considering all costs related to mastitis such as reduced productivity, discarded milk and increased labour, a single case costs the dairy farmer anything between €100 and €950.
The CombiFoss 7 can help to tackle the problem through a new test called differential somatic cell count. This, combined with the existing test for total somatic cell count, gives a higher level of analysis information to help dairy farmers and their advisors manage the disease and reduce its impact on farm economy and productivity.
See the video below from ICAR 2016 , where General Manager of Valacta, Daniel Lefebvre explains how the improved accuracy and effectiveness of CombiFoss 7 provides farmers with even better milk testing tools for cow health evaluation.
