Mastitis and farmer mindset : towards effective communication strategies to improve udder health management on Dutch dairy farms

Mastitis (udder inflammation) is considered one of the main health issues in the dairy industry. It is a costly disease that also has an impact on animal welfare, on milk quality, and on farmers’ pleasure in their work. Furthermore, the use of antimicrobial treatments as a result of mastitis – the biggest contributor to antibiotic use in the dairy industry – is undesirable due to the risk of both antibiotic contamination of milk and the development of bacterial resistance. Consequently, mastitis prevention is relevant for animal welfare, for society, the dairy industry, and farmers. Why some f... Mehr ...