UDDER TROUBLES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 May 1938, Page 3

UDDER TROUBLES

ELIMINATION OF WASTE AND INEFFICIENCY. It is imperative for dairy farmers to eliminate every possible source of waste and inefficiency in production if the best returns are to be obtained, and as teat and udder troubles occur chiefly among cows in milk, the heavy yielding animals being the most susceptible, losses from these diseases may be very serious, especially as they may be not only temporary but even permanent. The same attitude to adopt in all udder troubles is to look upon them all as contagious and to deal with them as a possible channel of infection, for even cases of simple teat injury- caused by accidents may be the starting point of infection and may develop seriously.

There are three main channels of infection of the udder, namely, through the teat; through the skin (abrasions, wounds, etc.), and by the blood of lymphatic vessels. Udder trouble may start as congestion of the udder and remain confined to. this organ, or it may go on to acute inflaccation, depending on the cause and, to some extent, on the treatment.

Simple infection of the udder is most commonly experienced with heavy milking cows in robust condition, lacking in exercise. Cows with big fleshy udders are more subject to it than others. It is a condition broqght about chiefly from the fact that very heavy milkers have been brought to a more or less artificial state. The udder functions normally, and it starts very often to function before the time of parturition, when no relief is given. Apart from the danger of congestion, an udder in this state is far more liable to injury. The safest rule in dealing. with teat and udder troubles is to look upon all cases as infectious and treat them accordingly, and also to look upon all cases of old udder trouble with suspicion. Experience shows that where a herd is self-contained, that is, where no outside females are brought in, udder troubles, as with many other troubles, tend to disappear and to become less virulent, due to an immunity being acquired. In any case, it is unwise to introduce into a herd any female with a suspicion of old udder trouble.