Specially approved disinfectants which do not taint milk can be applied to the cubicle bed once or twice weekly in order to reduce the level of infection. It is also essential to provide cubicles of good design and adequate size which will avoid cows lying out. The cubicle house should be well ventilated, whilst avoiding draughts. Any modifications required to the winter accommodation should be carried out well in advance of the housing period. These cows can be identified by individual testing which can be arranged by your milk purchasing company or veterinary surgeon.
Cell counts in individual cows can rise and fall rapidly.
Consequently, several tests are normally required to identify the persistent offenders which should be culled. Milk recording is ideal, giving a regular check on cell count. In the short term, milk from cows with a high cell count can be fed to calves. The particular organism causing the problem can be identified by testing milk samples from each teat of high cell count cows. This enables your veterinary surgeon to prescribe the appropriate antibiotics.