Bedfordshire dairy producer Richard Infield believes that careful attention to hygiene and cow management is the key to maintaining low cell counts and controlling mastitis in his family’s 140-Holstein Friesian herd.
Four years ago, Richard, who co-owns the 202-hectare dairy and arable farm with his parents, John and Jennifer, and his sister, Liz, experienced a sharp rise in cell counts to 250,000-300,000. At the same time, mastitis cases also surged, reaching 20-30 annually, compared to the usual two to three cases per year.
The spike was mainly attributed to the replacement of a mild bedding disinfectant, previously applied twice a week, with a finer powder after the farm’s local supplier was taken over and the original product became unavailable.
“We suspect the fine powder was getting into the teat canal and causing irritation,” Richard explains. Despite having successfully managed similar issues in the past, the team found it difficult to reduce cell counts this time.
Seeking solutions, Richard came across a social media video by farming influencer Tom Pemberton, who shared how a multi-strain bacterial bedding conditioner from EnviroSystems had resolved cell count problems in his herd. Intrigued and at a loose end, Richard decided to try the product, Cobiotex.
“When I saw the video, my instantly ears pricked up and that’s when I started reading into it. My mum is a biochemist by trade, and she could understand how it would work. Nothing else was working at the time, so we decided to give it a try.”
Cobiotex works by forming protective biofilms on bedding and cubicle surfaces, which outcompete harmful bacteria linked to mastitis (E. coli, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus) and digital dermatitis (Treponema, Dicholeobacter).
At Ouse Farm, cows are bedded on straw on rubber mattresses, and the cubicles are brushed twice daily with an automated brush system. The bedding conditioner is applied once a week in winter and every fortnight in summer, using 200g per cubicle. During the first three milkings after application, the beds are hand-scraped to ensure even coverage.
Even in summer, when the cows are grazing outside, Cobiotex is applied, as the cows pass through the cubicles after milking. Richard did stop using for a short period one summer, but found cell counts started to creep up. “Now we use it year-round to maintain a base of good bacteria, which makes everything easier,” says Richard.
Since starting to use the product in January 2021, the farm has seen dramatic improvements. By April 2021, cell counts were reduced to the high 100s, and over the past 12 months, the farm’s average cell count has been 98,000, with mastitis cases back to under-five a year. On September 23 this year, cell counts were down to 56,000, and the bactoscan averaged 11, occasionally dipping as low as 5 or 6.
The reduction in mastitis has been so dramatic that Richard notes a box of 12 antibiotic tubes purchased in December 2022 is still half full.
“Once you’ve used Cobiotex, you’ll never go back,” he says. Richard is so impressed by the results that he’s even recommended the product to other farmers.
The farm has even started using the product in their calf pens as they say it helps keep the bedding drier and ‘keeps the bugs away’.
Richard is so convinced by the benefits of EnviroSystems’ products that he also began using their EnviroCare Teat dip three years ago to further improve teat health.
“The cost of iodine was increasing and you can buy 1000l of EnviroCare Teat for less than 400l of iodine- based products, so we decided to give it a go. Having used EnviroCare Teat, we wouldn’t go back to using any other product,” he adds.
He uses the product as a pre and post dip by spraying the teat, wiping it with a paper towel and then attaching the units.
“We’ve really noticed a difference with teat condition since using it and can still feel the dip on the teats at the second milking.”
Richard says he used to have cows with teat condition scores of 2s and 3s, which could lead to bacteria getting into the teat. However, now, he says, if they have the odd cow verging into score 1, they’d be unlucky.
In addition to better teat health, Richard has noticed quicker milk letdown. “We introduced the new teat dip at the same time as changing the milking claw, and together they’ve reduced our milking time by 30 minutes in our 10:10 herringbone parlour,” he adds.
The farm also appreciated the addition of citronella to the EnviroCare Teat dip this summer, as it helped reduce fly numbers in the parlour. “Julie, who milks with me, loved the smell and noticed the fly numbers were down, which is important as we’re in a Bluetongue Restricted Area,” Richard explains.
Teat health is also supported through breeding decisions, with cows prone to problems being culled and the herd bred for health and teat traits alongside stature, rump angle, yield, fat, and protein.
They use sexed semen and two Aberdeen Angus sweeper bulls.
Their Holstein Friesian cows currently yield 10,000 litres, with 4.31% fat and 3.28% protein. The cows’ diet includes grass silage, straw, rolled wheat, soya and rapemeal-based blend, a moist blend and rolled beans with an 15% protein concentrate fed in the parlour. The farm also manages 60 followers.