Learning Outcomes:
On the completion of this module, students will be able to:
-Demonstrate a core clinical knowledge of bovine mastitis, the risk factors for mastitis and factors that influence milk quality
-Discuss and employ methods to control mastitis.
-Recognise common patterns of spread of mastitis, the mechanisms of spread of mastitis and the sources of infection
-Develop a herd monitoring plan for clinical and sub clinical mastitis
-Evaluate the costs of mastitis and perform a cost benefit analysis of interventions in a dairy herd
-Gather, manage and analyse SCC and clinical mastitis records to assess herd performance and identify patterns in time, space and among animal groups
-Formulate and execute an investigation, tailored to an individual farm, based on problem definition and patterns of disease identified from record analysis
-Formulate a cost effective mastitis control plan tailored to an individual farm
-Construct a farm visit report communicating findings from an investigation, interpretation of findings and recommendations for monitoring and control.
Indicative Module Content:
This module will focus on the key aspects of milk quality and mastitis relevant to the herd level. Milk quality in this context will refer to measures of milk hygiene and will not include issues relating to milk solids constituents or issues relating to residues. Mirroring the approach used in other modules, this module will build upon the generic approach to problem-solving delivered in the Herd Health Skills module. Students will adapt the Herd Health Management Cycle to develop an understanding of the monitoring, investigation and control of milk quality and mastitis on dairy farms.
This module will be divided into four core units plus assessments:
• Unit 1: Basic concepts in milk quality and mastitis (Week 1)
• Unit 2: Monitoring the herd (Week 2)
• Unit 3: Investigating Problems (Weeks 3-4)
• Unit 4: Controlling mastitis (Weeks 5-7)
The final week (Week 8) has been allocated for assessment purposes.