Mastitis Prevention and Welfare in Dairy Cows

Mastitis — inflammation of the udder usually caused by bacterial infection — is the most common and costly disease in dairy farming. It causes significant pain and is a leading reason for premature culling, making prevention the highest-priority welfare intervention in dairy.

Key Facts

Mastitis affects an estimated 25-40% of dairy cows per year in intensive production systems
Clinical mastitis causes visible udder swelling, pain, abnormal milk, and systemic illness in severe cases
Sub-clinical mastitis with no visible signs but elevated somatic cell count affects far more cows than clinical cases
The Five Point Plan — teat dipping, dry cow therapy, prompt treatment, culling chronics, and good milking hygiene — reduces incidence substantially
Antibiotic dry cow therapy at the end of lactation is used to treat sub-clinical infections and prevent new ones
Selective dry cow therapy using diagnostic testing reduces antibiotic use without compromising welfare outcomes
Robotic milking systems can detect early mastitis through milk conductivity sensors, enabling faster treatment

Welfare Considerations

Mastitis causes genuine pain — cows with acute mastitis show reduced feed intake, altered gait, and pain behaviours including kicking during milking. Chronic low-grade mastitis reduces milk yield and immune competence while causing persistent discomfort. The welfare case for prevention is strong: each case prevented avoids a welfare episode, reduces antibiotic use, and prolongs productive life. Teat end health, milking machine function, housing hygiene, and stockmanship are the primary control levers. Farms with somatic cell counts below 200,000 per millilitre demonstrate that low mastitis prevalence is achievable through consistent management commitment. Consumer demand for dairy from low-mastitis herds creates market incentive for the welfare investments required.

What You Can Do

Support dairy welfare standards that include somatic cell count targets and mastitis incidence reporting
Advocate for selective antibiotic dry cow therapy protocols that reduce AMR risk while maintaining welfare
Choose dairy from farms with documented udder health programs and low somatic cell count records
Raise awareness that mastitis prevention is simultaneously the most important welfare and economic priority in dairy farming