You may be aware of the launch of QuarterPro, a new dairy industry initiative to promote and improve udder health. We regularly look at mastitis and SCC data with many of our dairy clients already, but the QuarterPro initiative is a nicely structured approach, and would be a great place to start looking at udder health data for those of you that don’t do so much data analysis, or who used to do it and have lapsed.
Understanding a herd’s mastitis pattern (see chart above) allows control measures to be focussed where they will be most effective, but this step requires the detailed interpretation of mastitis and somatic cell count data, which can be time-consuming. The new “Mastitis Pattern Analysis Tool”, developed by a team from QMMS Ltd and the University of Nottingham, and funded by AHDB, automates this step and can make it much easier.
The QuarterPRO approach is a four-step iterative process (see diagram below), using quarterly assessment of clinical mastitis and SCC data, with the Mastitis Pattern Analysis Tool, to encourage a proactive approach to mastitis control. Resources will be available to assist farmers in making relevant management changes. If more detailed investigation is needed, farmers will be signposted to the full AHDB Dairy Mastitis Control Plan (DMCP).
If you think your herd might benefit from QuarterPro, please call us on 01332 294929
