title: Current management practices and interventions prioritised as part of a nationwide mastitis control plan.
abstract: The objectives of this study were to report performance and management data taken from a sample of UK dairy farms that have participated in the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board Dairy Mastitis Control Plan (DMCP) and to identify important mastitis prevention practices that are not currently widely implemented. A total of 234 UK dairy herds were included in the study from which farm management and udder health data were collected. Herds were grouped according to their mastitis epidemiology and could be classed as (i) environmental dry period (EDP) (i.e. environmental pathogen with majority of infections being acquired during the dry period), (ii) environmental lactation (EL), (iii) contagious dry period (CDP) or (iv) contagious lactation (CL). The results of this study showed that many mastitis-related management practices that are generally considered to be important were not widely performed. A better understanding of those practices not widely adopted by UK dairy farmers at present may aid practitioners in identifying and overcoming potential barriers to improved mastitis control.
authors.affiliation: University of Nottingham, School of Veterinary Medicine & Science, Sutton Bonington Campus, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, LE12 5RD, UK.
authors.forename: P M
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1896-7255
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Down
authors.affiliation: Quality Milk Management Services Ltd, Cedar Barn, Easton Hill, Easton, Wells BA5 1DU, UK.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.affiliation: Quality Milk Management Services Ltd, Cedar Barn, Easton Hill, Easton, Wells BA5 1DU, UK.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Breen
authors.affiliation: Quality Milk Management Services Ltd, Cedar Barn, Easton Hill, Easton, Wells BA5 1DU, UK.
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Hudson
authors.affiliation: Quality Milk Management Services Ltd, Cedar Barn, Easton Hill, Easton, Wells BA5 1DU, UK.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Green
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D005260:Female; D006292:Health Priorities; D006801:Humans; D008414:Mastitis, Bovine / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: AHDB Dairy Mastitis Control Plan; Dairy Cow; Herd health; Mastitis control