Abstract
BackgroundObjectives of the study were to document the impact of some management factors on the occurrence of clinical mastitis in primiparous dairy cows and to identify common udder pathogens of clinical mastitis in freshly calved heifers and multiparous cows on the day of calving.MethodsA one-year study was conducted during 2004 and 2005 in 11 selected Estonian dairy herds. Data consisted of 68 heifers with clinical mastitis and 995 heifers without clinical mastitis on the day of calving. Multivariable logistic regression with a random herd effect was used to investigate any association between housing system or the time interval from movement of heifers to the calving facility and day of calving on occurrence of clinical mastitis. Milk samples for bacteriological analysis were collected from affected heifers and multiparous cows on the day of calvingResultsClinical mastitis occurrence in the study population of freshly calved heifers equalled 6.1 %. Housing system was not a significant risk factor for clinical mastitis of freshly calved heifers.Moving heifers to the cowbarn less than two weeks before calving in tiestall farms increased risk (OR = 5.9 p = 0.001) for clinical mastitis at parturition. The most frequently isolated udder pathogens among heifers were Escherichia coli (22.1%), Streptococcus uberis (19.1%) and coagulase-negative staphylococci (8.8%). In comparison, the main pathogen in multiparous cows with clinical mastitis at parturition was Staphylococcus aureus (11.2%).ConclusionMoving heifers to the calving facilities too late in tiestall farms increased risk for clinical mastitis at parturition. The isolated udder pathogens did not differ significantly in tiestall farms compared to freestall farms in heifers, but differences were found between heifers and multiparous cows at parturition.
Highlights
Objectives of the study were to document the impact of some management factors on the occurrence of clinical mastitis in primiparous dairy cows and to identify common udder pathogens of clinical mastitis in freshly calved heifers and multiparous cows on the day of calving
The isolated udder pathogens did not differ significantly in tiestall farms compared to freestall farms in heifers, but differences were found between heifers and multiparous cows at parturition
Replacement heifers are generally expected to have good udder health, many studies have identified a high risk of their developing subclinical mastitis during early lactation and
Summary
Objectives of the study were to document the impact of some management factors on the occurrence of clinical mastitis in primiparous dairy cows and to identify common udder pathogens of clinical mastitis in freshly calved heifers and multiparous cows on the day of calving. Replacement heifers are generally expected to have good udder health, many studies have identified a high risk of their developing subclinical mastitis during early lactation and (page number not for citation purposes). At the same time, published reports on clinical mastitis incidence in freshly calved heifers are scarce and controversial. A nested casecontrol study in Norway showed that 5 % (6,410 out of 128,027) cases of clinical mastitis was treated in first calving heifers [9]. In Finland, the frequency of treatments for heifer mastitis from one week before to one week after calving was 3.9% for Ayrshires and 5.6% for Frisians [10]. In a study conducted in Netherlands the rate of clinical mastitis around parturition was found to be higher in heifers (>30%) compared to older cows (13%) [11]
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