Options for Handling Chronic Subclinical Mastitis During Lactation in Modern Dairy Farms

Leitner, G. 162 INTRODUCTION Economic pressure drives modern dairy farmers to exert continuous efforts to maximize profitability. This is achieved by constant improvement of genetic selection, nutrition, and herd management. Modern dairy farms are characterized by high levels of computerized data acquisition, which provides on-line information on cows' milk yield, milk composition and body weight, and input on cows' behavior, such as step counts, lying duration, and rumination, all of which help farmers to reach their goals (1). A side effect of modernization is the increase in herd size to hundreds and even thousands of cows (2, 3). One outcome of this trend is the development of a concept that cow herd management and health control should be focused on the herd rather than on the individual cow (4), as in traditional dairy farming. Paradoxically – or apparently so at first glance – the prevalence of on-line Options for Handling Chronic Subclinical Mastitis During Lactation in Modern Dairy Farms