Healthy milk vs milk yield

[Guest guest]

The following quoted material is taken from

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/dairy/facts/90-104.htm

This is the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs

factsheet on " Mastitis Prevention for Dairy Cattle: Environmental

Control " .

" Introduction

Mastitis is one of the most common and costly diseases of dairy

cattle. It can be controlled by applying a management program which

includes: (1) a clean, stress-free environment; (2) proper maintenance

and operation of milking equipment; (3) good milking procedures

including teat dipping; (4) a dry cow treatment program; and (5) a

program for monitoring udder health status. This Factsheet outlines

the environmental factors of mastitis prevention. "

I assume by " costly " , they mean the production of milk is reduced in a

cow with mastitis. Regardless of the meaning of " costly " , the

factsheet continues and states:

" Three main goals in environmental control of mastitis are as follows:

1. Decrease the number of bacteria in the cow's environment,

particularly in areas which come in contact with the udder.

2. Prevent teat injuries.

3. Reduce or eliminate environmental stress. "

It continues with:

" Feeding

Although dairymen have often blamed certain feeds for clinical

mastitis flare-ups, high energy or high protein diets do not increase

or decrease the number of new infections. Feeding high producing cows

for maximum production does increase stress on the udder and may cause

infected cows to flare-up, however, restricting production to reduce

clinical mastitis is not realistic or economical. "

Oh, I see. This government guide tells farmers to choose yield as a

goal even when that choice is putting the health of the cow at risk. I

guess that is justified because the milk will be pasteurized, so

whatever pathogens or pus from an infected cow will be purified by the

pasteurization process.

I understand what they mean by not " economical " as restricting

production would decrease income, but I don't know what they mean by

not " realistic " , unless it means the same thing as not economical.

As a consumer of raw milk, I do not want raw milk legalized in

Ontario. I don't want to drink raw milk from cows with mastitis or

from dairy herds where any of the cows ever get mastitis, so I am in

favor of a restricted legalization of raw milk after an appropriate

scientific study regardless of how long such a study may take.