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Is lack of antibiotic usage affecting udder health status of organic dairy cattle?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 November 2016

Inmaculada Orjales ,
Marta López-Alonso ,
Ruth Rodríguez-Bermúdez ,
Francisco Rey-Crespo ,
Ana Villar  and
Marta Miranda
Inmaculada Orjales*
Affiliation:
Departamento de Anatomía, Produción Animal e Ciencias Clínicas Veterinarias, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain
Marta López-Alonso
Affiliation:
Departamento de Patoloxía Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain
Ruth Rodríguez-Bermúdez
Affiliation:
Departamento de Patoloxía Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain
Francisco Rey-Crespo
Affiliation:
Departamento de Patoloxía Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain Centro Tecnológico Agroalimentario de Lugo (CETAL), 27003 Lugo, Spain
Ana Villar
Affiliation:
Centro de Investigación y Formación Agrarias (CIFA), Héroes 2 de mayo 27, 39600 Muriedas, Cantabria, Spain
Marta Miranda
Affiliation:
Departamento de Anatomía, Produción Animal e Ciencias Clínicas Veterinarias, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain
*
*For correspondence; e-mail: inmaculada.orjales@usc.es
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Abstract

This research communication aimed to compare somatic cell count (SCC), the main marker of udder health status, in organic farms not using antibiotics (O, n = 6), organic farms using antibiotics (OA, n = 7) and conventional farms (CA, n = 5) using antibiotic treatments, all of them at pasture. SCC was statistically significantly higher in O (173780) compared to CA (93325) and OA (107152). Milk yield had a significant diluting effect on SCC and differences between groups increased with parities. Stratified analysis of SCC depending on lactation number and % of monthly SCC test with different linear scores (LS) indicated that there is no difference in udder health in the primiparous heifers from the three groups of farms, but it deteriorates in older cows because of chronic infections in O (possibly due to lack of antibiotic use). Our results suggest that the non-use of antibiotics had an effect in udder health leading to higher occurrence of clinical and subclinical mastitis. Therefore, preventive management practices for mastitis control are essential in organic farms.

Keywords

Udder healthorganic farmingantibioticssomatic cell count
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Dairy Research , Volume 83 , Issue 4 , November 2016 , pp. 464 - 467
Copyright
Copyright © Proprietors of Journal of Dairy Research 2016 

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