New mastitis test on show at CD Field Days
An innovative new product taking the guesswork out of mastitis diagnosis for dairy farmers is part of a raft of new technology to be found at this year’s Central Districts Field Days.
Between March 19-21 more than 27,000 people will flock to Manfeild in Feilding for New Zealand’s largest regional agricultural show. It’s a great place to learn about the latest products, services and trends that are shaping our primary industries.
Mastatest is one such innovation that’s having a positive impact on the dairy sector’s most costly disease. Mastitis is a common, and potentially fatal, inflammation of the mammary gland or udder. It can be caused by bacteria being introduced either during milking or from the environment.
Developed by veterinary medicine firm Agrihealth, Mastatest is a simple to use test that provides a fast and reliable diagnosis. It uses a milk sample to identify the type of bacteria then tailor the most appropriate antibiotic treatment for each cow with mastitis.
The technology was developed and manufactured in New Zealand and now allows farmers to diagnose and begin treatment in less than a day.
A Mastatest lapbox, power and either Wi-Fi or wired internet is needed for farmers to undertake the testing on their farm. The box is smaller than a microwave for easy storage.
The farmer adds a mastitis milk sample into the test kit cartridge, pops it into the Mastatest labox, enters the cow number and which quarter, then sets and forgets. An electronic capture device collects data and continuously uploads it to the cloud. Once the test cycle is completed, the farmer and the vet are emailed results, along with targeted antibiotic treatment recommendations. Each result notes whether a bacterial infection is present, what bacteria type is causing the infection, and whether the strain is susceptible to the selected antibiotic. It cuts the wait time for results down from three to five days to under 24 hours,.
Central Districts Field Days showcases the latest in farming, health, viticulture, horticulture, forestry, lifestyle and sustainable living as well as competitions and fun for the whole family. It’s open from 9am-4.30pm daily, closing at 4pm on the final day. Visit www. cdfielddays.co.nz .