QuarterPRO

Helping you predict the pattern of mastitis on your farm, react with resources and optimise ongoing mastitis control.

Mastitis is one of the most important and costly diseases on dairy farms. With a new decade and new challenges like antimicrobial resistance upon us, there is even more reason to focus on improving control of mastitis on dairy farms.

QuarterPRO is a new initiative that aims to help you achieve continuous improvement in mastitis control and udder health on farm leading to more saleable milk, higher milk quality, improved cow welfare and less antibiotic use.

Follow the conversation on Twitter using #QuarterPRO

Anyone can use QuarterPRO and BCVA accredited QuarterPRO advisers are available to help get you started.

In the following videos vet James Breen explains the three steps of the QuarterPRO approach and how it can help to control mastitis cases on your farm:

Step 1

Sign up to receive quarterly automated mastitis pattern analysis reports from your Milk Recording Organisation, using the REMEDY platform. The reports indicate the main area of infection e.g., environmental origin occurring in the lactating period. (Please note that the CDL converter and importing data into the tool referred to in the video is no longer needed as this process has been automated through REMEDY).

Step 2

Use the appropriate AHDB resources to put in place targeted control measures depending on your type of pattern - environmental lactation, environmental dry period or contagious mastitis.

Step 3

Optimise mastitis control by discussing the pattern on a quarterly basis with your vet or adviser.

Dairy farmer Austin Russell discusses how analysing mastitis patterns has helped him identify when the majority of mastitis infections occurred on his farm, how he addressed the underlying mastitis issues in his herd and the benefits this had.

You can make informed decisions about mastitis management on your farm by using the automated Mastitis Pattern Analysis Tool. By registering for automated MPAT reports you will:

• Receive a mastitis report via email following every milk recording
• Identify the main mastitis infection pattern present in your herd
• Be able to make an evidence-based decision on which control measures to put in place

Find out more about the Mastitis Control Plan and recording clinical mastitis cases.

To get regular automated MPAT reports please register on REMEDY.

Vet James Breen looks at how to select cows suitable for selective dry cow therapy using records of history of mastitis and somatic cell count.

James Breen looks at the protocol to correctly administer sealant and antibiotic dry cow therapy tubes safely and effectively.

An online training course is available for vets and advisers who wish to become accredited as BCVA recognised QuarterPRO advisers.