Cost Benefit Analysis of Lactation Therapy with Somatic Cell Counts as Indications for Treatment

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Abstract
Lactating dairy cows (487) from 5 commercial herds were included in a study of benefits from lactation therapy of subclinical mastitis. Bacterial isolations and composite milk samples for somatic cells counts were taken from each cow each month for 15 mo. Cows (254) in the experimental group were infused with cephapirin in all quarters for 2 consecutive milkings if somatic cell counts were > 400,000 cells/ml; 103 cows were so treated. Stepwise regression showed that lactation number, somatic cell counts, days in milk and percent quarters infected explained variation in milk production, but treatment group, herd and season did not. There were no significant differences between production of infected experimental and control cows with high somatic cell counts on test dates after treatment. With the experimental program, there was a considerable net loss. Intramammary lactation therapy based on somatic cells counts < 400,000 cells/ml is not recommended.