They are passionate about Holstein Friesian breeding, and cow families are the backbone of the Lisduff herd. In 2021 the Lisduff herd was short listed as a national finalist and was a category winner in the Quality Milk Awards Competition run by the National Dairy Council and Kerrygold.
Milk quality and sustainability are very important to the O’Sullivans. On the advice of their brother Donal, who is a vet with Abbeyville Cork, they implemented selective dry cow therapy to the herd in 2016. It was implemented as a means of reducing antibiotic usage on the farm and to be ahead of possible changes in prescribing legislation. Donal advised it could be implemented without affecting cow health and welfare, as long as they paid extra attention to hygiene at dry-off.
Selective dry cow therapy has been very successful on their farm. Approximately 90% of cows receive teat sealer only at dry-off. There have been many advantages to this, according to John. “We have managed to greatly reduce the antibiotic usage at dry-off. There is a cost saving in not having to use dry cow tubes across the board. It is easier to manage cows’ milk in early lactation in terms of antibiotic residues. Udder health has not been affected by using selective dry cow therapy.”
John acknowledges that immaculate hygiene at dry-off is crucial for selective dry-off success. “Hygiene is the most important thing when it comes to selective dry cow therapy. This cannot be rushed. Here at Lisduff, we clip all cows’ tails and udders just before drying off. Cows are milked first, then brought back through the parlour after washing it down. Teats need to be surgically clean when giving sealer only. We always wear clean gloves, pre-dip the teat, wipe clean with alcohol wipes and dip again after sealing. Cows are left to stand for 30 minutes after sealing. Keeping the dry cow housing clean is also very important. We clean and lime twice a day during the risk periods.”
Milk recording and udder health records are pivotal when implementing selective dry cow therapy on farms. Clinical mastitis events can be recorded on ICBF by text message or directly on the website. If a cow gets clinical mastitis during the year, she is deemed unsuitable for selective dry cow therapy. Drying off sessions are planned a week in advance by identifying the cows to be dried off and determining the most suitable treatment.
When it comes to teat sealer of choice, John says: “We’ve always used Boviseal as our teat sealer here at Lisduff. Initially it was recommended to us by our vets at Abbeyville. We find it works really well. The sealer is easy to get out of the tube and into the teat. This is important when using selective dry cow therapy. Boviseal lasts right the way through the dry period and gives great protection against mastitis. We believe it’s important to stick with the tried and tested teat sealer when you’re doing selective dry cow therapy.”
Boviseal® Dry Cow Intramammary Infusion contains 2.6 g Bismuth subnitrate per syringe. Legal status: LM. For further information please contact your veterinary surgeon or Zoetis, see www.zoetis.ie. Use medicines responsibly (www.apha.ie) ZT/24/22/01 (Oct 2024)