The effect of intramammary infection during the dry period on the milk production of the affected quarter at the start of the succeeding lactation

Abstract

Summary Intramammary infection present in quarters of dairy cows, either throughout the dry period or originating in the dry period, reduces the milk yield after calving. Relative to the milk yield of equivalent non-infected quarters of the same udder the reduction was found in this work to be about 35%. The relative milk yield of quarters found infected in late lactation was depressed by 48% but if the infection was eliminated during the dry period, the depression in milk yield was only 11% after parturition.