For dairy farmers, mastitis is public enemy number one. Although the infection has several forms, the end result is usually the same. An infected animal will be out of production for several days. That's because the standard way to treat an udder infection is through antibiotics, so the cow's milk has to be dumped until the drug leaves its system- that usually takes between 72 and 96 hours.
However, with funding help from the PEI ADAPT Council (which administers the Canadian Adaptation and Rural Development Fund in the province for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada), Bloyce Thompson is exploring another approach. His Frenchfort farm, which has been in the Thompson family for several generations, has won more than its share of provincial, regional and national awards for its herd genetics.
He said his farm has always been willing to try new and innovative methods that can increase production.
The dairycell is a hand-held box with electrodes that are hooked up to the cows’ udders. An electrical current is passed through the machine to massage the swelling and help them relax and start the healing process. He said the animal is typically treated for eight minutes, with the treatment applied twice if the case is severe.
“The success rate is about 60 percent, which is about the same as antibiotics,” he said. However, there is a big difference. Since there are no drugs involved, there is no need to dump any milk. That means there is no lost production and, “although the capital cost is quite high, it does pay for itself when you consider the production that would be lost.”
Thompson has been using the machine for about a year, and he estimates the machine is used at least once a week between the two farms in the trial. He said the machine is highly portable and the only drawback he has noticed is the requirement to physically stand next to the animal and hold the machine. “Eight minutes may not sound like much, but if you have other things to do it can slow you down,” he said.
The Thompson farm is the first in the province to use the machine, and he said there has been some interest from other producers. Due to the high price tag, he said the most cost effective approach is to have several producers who live in a close geographic proximity to buy it jointly. “Since you are only using it for eight to 16 minutes at a time, it lends itself well to being shared,” said Thompson.
(This is one of a series of articles prepared by the PEI Agricultural Awareness Committee and funded by the PEI ADAPT Council and other partners to highlight new and innovative developments in the province's farming community.)
For more information, please contact: Phil Ferraro, ADAPT Council at 368-2005.