|
Healthier cows with fewer cases of mastitis, metritis, and respiratory disease
Lower vet and treatment costs
Improved fertility and longevity, keeping cows in your herd longer
More profit, with gains that build every generation
By monitoring immunity in your herd, you’re not just treating disease — you’re preventing it.
MASTITIS
Immunity+® & Mastitis
Mastitis is the most economically costly disease in dairy production worldwide. It affects milk yield, quality, cow longevity, and farm labor — with both clinical (visible symptoms) and subclinical (no visible signs, but high somatic cell count) forms.
Estimated Cost of Mastitis/Case:
Clinical Mastitis: $150–$400+
Subclinical Mastitis: $60–$200+
Subclinical mastitis is more common, persistent, and harder to detect — making it a major hidden cost.
How Immunity+ Helps Fight Mastitis- Stronger Initial Immune Defense
- HIR cows are better at recognizing and responding to invading bacteria in the udder. This means:
- Faster recruitment of immune cells to the site of infection
- Quicker containment of bacterial spread
- Lower severity of symptoms
- In studies, HIR cows showed fewer infections and lower SCCs than low responders when challenged with mastitis pathogens.
- Better Regulation of Inflammation
- Mastitis can cause excessive inflammation that damages milk-producing tissue.
- HIR cows have more controlled inflammatory responses, which:
- Limits tissue damage
- Promotes faster recovery
- Helps maintain milk yield
- Lower Somatic Cell Count (SCC)
- High SCC is a key indicator of mastitis.
- Cows sired by Immunity+ bulls consistently show:
- Lower average SCC
- Fewer SCC spikes during lactation
- Longer productive life due to reduced udder issues
- Herds using Immunity+ sires have reported fewer clinical mastitis cases and less bulk tank SCC penalties.
- Long-Term Genetic Resistance
- Immunity+ is a heritable trait — it builds resistance from generation to generation.
- Over time, herds improve their natural resistance to mastitis, reducing:
- Treatment costs
- Milk loss
- Culling due to chronic infections
- Reduced Antibiotic Use
- With fewer infections and better recovery, Immunity+ cows require:
- Fewer antibiotic treatments
- Shorter withdrawal periods
- Better fit for antimicrobial stewardship programs
Summary: Semex’s Immunity+ helps fight mastitis by selecting cows with genetically superior immune systems that are better able to prevent, control, and recover from udder infections — especially during high-risk periods like early lactation.
While Immunity+ is not a treatment or vaccine, it offers a genetic solution to reducing mastitis risk over the long term. Cows with a high immune response (HIR) are less likely to develop mastitis, and if they do, they typically experience milder cases, faster recovery, and lower somatic cell counts (SCC).
|
|
