A proactive approach to managing Johne’s at Curtis Hulme Farm

Johne’s disease affects most dairy herds across the UK and can negatively impact physical health and economic productivity.

Cows testing positive for Johne’s are twice as likely to produce milk yields 25% lower than the herd’s adjusted average, increasing costs to more than 1–2p per litre.

For several years, Curtis Hulme Farm dealt with test-positive cows. Initially, the farm started testing with a cohort of 30 cows, gradually expanding to testing the entire herd more frequently.

Reflecting on their challenging period starting to measure Johne’s, farmer Caroline Williams says:

"Seeing poorly cows and the effect it has on the herd really gets you down, but starting the testing has been a positive step for us. The decision to take action came naturally, driven by encouragement from their vet and requirements from their milk contract. The more we did, the more we found and gained from it.”

To manage high-risk cows and contain infections, those with a positive reading are tagged with a bright orange J tag – a visual marker that helps to identify and manage cows separately.

Caroline emphasised:

“We do our best to ensure these cows calve in a designated dry-cow pen, keeping them away from the main calving area.”

Efficient management extends beyond the barn. The farm uses a colour-coded list to identify cows based on their health status, allowing easier decision-making on culling and breeding.  

The initial phase was daunting, with a significant portion of the herd identified as high-risk. Caroline described the challenges and successes:

“Managing the risk and setting realistic expectations were crucial. It felt overwhelming at times, but it was necessary for the future health of the herd.

"One of the most successful strategies has been breeding not only positive cows but also their female offspring to beef, reducing the number of replacements from high-risk animals."  

The team at Curtis Hulme sees the impact of clinical cases and understands the importance of putting measures into place.

Caroline comments:

“The positive results are evident. Cows with conditions such as lameness or mastitis also often test positive for Johne’s.

"Cleanliness and timely intervention in the calving pen have played crucial roles in reducing Johne’s spread and had the added benefit of enhancing calf health, reducing infectious diseases and improving the wellbeing of both the animals and the farm team.”

Sarah Tomlinson, a practising farm vet for over 20 years and our lead veterinary science expert, provides insight into Johne’s disease:

“It is a bacterial disease of cows, and it's an interesting one because the bacteria is resistant to any sort of treatment.

"We can’t treat it, so that's the challenge, and it's unusual because the normal route of infection is when the calf ingests infected faeces from an infected cow.”

The incubation period for Johne’s disease typically lasts two to five years before it develops in an adult cow.

Sarah describes the symptoms, explaining that the first signs in an adult cow often include a reduction in milk production.

The cow may begin to appear less healthy and not perform as well as expected. Over time, the cow may also suffer from other diseases, such as mastitis and increased somatic cell counts.

If the condition is left untreated, the animal may eventually reach a state of emaciation and, ultimately, death.

“What we find, though, in most modern, well-run dairy herds is that most farmers quite often will remove those animals from the herd before the symptoms fully develop, so many farms have the disease but may not be aware of its presence.”

When looking to identify and tackle Johne’s disease, Sarah advises one of the tools is to milk record to gather data on each cow within the herd:

“If you identify infected animals early, you can make sure they don't go into those communal areas, like the maternity yard or the calving yard, and contaminate your replacement calves. So, you're trying to break the cycle.”

The potential benefits and gains for a farm business to address Johne’s disease are substantial. The reasons for wanting to control the disease will vary between farms.

For some, it may be about improving the overall health and welfare of the herd, while for others, it could be environmental benefits, such as reducing the farm’s carbon footprint. Why farmers are motivated is not a problem, as the ultimate goal remains the same.

The journey may be a long one, but the rewards of healthier herds and a more manageable farm operation are well worth the effort.