How should I react to a new or rising MDi or conductivity?

Despite all the knowledge, farmers often find it difficult to determine what to do when.

In cows that regularly have an MDi or conductivity that is too high, the only interesting question is whether you made the right decision at an earlier moment with this cow.

But what are the important steps in new cases? In that case, it is actually about estimating whether the cow can fight off the bacterial attack registered by DelPro itself or whether your support is needed.
So:
1. Is it an incident, for example, after a heat, or a crazy event in the stable or robot.
2. What is the condition of the cow, is she in good condition and fit, no other inflammations or disturbing bruises on the body, does she use all four legs well and evenly, rumen well filled and is she not (too deep) in the negative energy balance?
3. Was it a big increase? With a decrease in production, on the relevant teat?
4. Has she had an increase, perhaps a few weeks before?
5. How is the hygiene in the barn, is she able to fight off a bacterial attack herself?
6. Is the company cell count high or very low?

If it is a really new case, it is often sufficient to check for good empty milking at the next milking, possibly with a few good rubbing with udder mint. Livestock farmers also sometimes give a bolus, everything to help the cow fight the invaders (bacteria / viruses) with its own resistance.
If the cow in question has more history or if you say that she needs extra support as a result of the above mentioned points, it must be tackled more thoroughly.
With healthy cows and timely intervention, we can increase lifespan and reduce antibiotic use.

Update animal records on a daily basis.

For most dairy farmers it is the most natural thing in the world to immediately put all data, calving, heats, inseminations, drying off, treatments, etc. into the computer.
Then you are not only always up to date, the system can also provide much more and correct information via the well-known lists and overviews to properly manage your company and cows.
Keeping a good cow calendar provides a lot of information. Also if you decide not to inseminate a cow again and put it on Cull Decision, lists remain clear.

But sometimes it is not done because the farmer has, for example, Management Program and that data may not automatically go to DelPro.
Then it often comes down to both programs being half used.
If your program gives also good information it is okay but otherwise it would be a great pity if we miss the clear information that DelPro can offer!

Then get over it and make sure DelPro has all the information. You will enjoy this afterwards! Then just use the info from your Management program to put the data in DelPro.

Cows losing milk in layingboxes.

Some dairy farms are more or less bothered by milk outlayers.
Then there is (a lot of) milk in the boxes, sometimes even from cows that were milked not so long ago.

What could be the possible causes of this?

Of course the milking technique, the correct puls-rest ratio with pulsations, correct vacuum, good liners and especially not too high milk flow by take-off moment.

It is also important that a cow does not come too late or too early after her previous milking.

When stressed in the milking parlor or milking robot, the cow often does not milk properly.

This can be caused, for example, by bad or slow attaching teats, attached too early or too late (oxytocin), leakage current, too tight in the box, feeding concentrate too short, a restless environment, small waiting area and “struggle” to get to the robot or milking parlor, etc. , etc.

These things are often all tackled, but must be mentioned.

Leaking milk is also hereditary. In certain bulls and cow families with a high milking rate, losing milk when they are laying is more common.

Furthermore, a common cause is the box cover.

There are mattresses that get very warm from the cow lying on them. But also in summer when it is warmer, those mattresses are already warm by themselves and when the cow lies on it and is sensitive to lying out milk, this is considerably strengthened and milk loss can be a consequence.

Either hard or no box cover. If the cow lays a bit clumsy, she can also squeeze some milk from the udder in addition to lying out.

With teat top callus, teat points close less well. And teat lock muscles that do not close good enough and not fast enough are literally an open door for bacteria, in addition to letting milk out!

Add to that the fact that milk in the boxes gets dirty quickly and also likes to be visited by flies, and then you know that the risk of infections increases considerably!

Furthermore, it appears that of the minerals, especially a Calcium deficiency causes poorer closing of the sphincter muscle around the lock hole of the teat. With Calcium you should pay particular attention to the Calcium / Phosphate ratio 2 : 1 This ratio is necessary for good absorption.

This ratio is also very important during the dry period, but it also deserves attention in (pregnant) young stock.

Zinc is also seen as an important mineral for this, but then you have often already sounded the alarm because of fertility problems, sluggish behavior and dull hair.

Also Magnesium is an important mineral for the (lock) muscles.

Shortages can arise, for example, because roughage is fed from monotonous crops that have been little fertilized, or old or unpalatable batches.

These minerals, including Calcium, can be added during feeding.

Less palatable rations or rumen acidosis can lead to low intakes.

It may also be that the need is sufficiently met, but because cows, for example, receive a lot of iron or manganese (via drinking water?) , it is not absorbed sufficiently and we still get into problems….

Not too long in separation area.

It’s great if you have an extra section where cows are kept and controlled, such as a straw or sand pen for example. Especially if the cows can be easily guided to and from the robot from here. Or to the hoof trimming box.
Yet we often see too many cows that stay too long in this area. It’s really for care cows!
Usually the cows that stay in this (straw) pen are only milked twice a day. It also often happens that the water supply and roughage supply are less generous than in the rest of the barn. Then, for example, they can drink what is necessary but they have to drink a lot, they can eat what is necessary to live but not what they can eat extra.

This is exactly what a cow needs to get healthy, for example to make a good start to the new lactation or to recover.
After all, a cow is a herd animal.