1.
Consequences of farmers’
interpretation of mastitis alerts
Klaske Buma, Ruurd Jorritsma en Henk Hogeveen
Leerstoelgroep Bedrijfseconomie, Wageningen Universiteit
Departement Gezondheidszorg Landbouwhuisideren, Universiteit Utrecht

2.
Automatic milking: Mean SCC ↑
• SCC = MANAGEMENT
– Risk of IMI ↑ = Hygiene milking, housing
– Detection of mastitis
• Common
• Expensive
• Frustration

3.
Information from milking robot
• Sensor information
– Conductivity
– Colour
– Milk production (24h)
– Temperature (MQC 2)
– SCC (optional)
• Algorithm → Udder health report
– Potential cases of mastitis

4.
Detection of mastitis by farmer
Check Interpret Check Interpret Check alert Interpret Take action
report report history history in the barn check •Take milk
• Conductivity •Check history alert alert •Check cow •Mastitis? sample
• Colour alert and/or •Milkquality •Check alert in •Check udder •Take action! •Treat mastitis
• Milk production check alert in •Milk visits the barn •Spurt and
deviation the barn check milk
• Total number of •Conductivity
alerts chart •CMT
• SCC (optional)

5.
Objective
• Get insight in the decision model of a
farmer to check on alerts from the report

6.
Material and methods
• 7 farms, North Western part of The
Netherlands
• 5 farms visits
– Questionnaire
– Interview
– CMT of all alerts
– Milksample and culturing clinical mastitis alerts
• Analysis of data

7.
Check and interpret alertlist
Check Interpret Check Interpret Check alert Interpret Take action
report report history history in the barn check •Take milk
• Conductivity •Check history alert alert •Check cow •Mastitis? sample
• Colour alert and/or •Milkquality •Check alert in •Check udder •Take action! •Treat mastitis
• Milk production check alert in •Milk visits the barn •Spurt and
deviation the barn check milk
• Total number of •Conductivity
alerts chart •CMT
• SCC (optional)
Quick glance
10 times a day – 2 times a week

8.
Check and interpret history alert
Check Interpret Check Interpret Check alert Interpret Take action
report report history history in the barn check •Take milk
• Conductivity •Check history alert alert •Check cow •Mastitis? Take sample
• Colour alert and/or •Milkquality •Check alert in •Check udder action! •Treat mastitis
• Milk production check alert in •Milk visits the barn •Spurt and
deviation the barn check milk
• Total number of •Conductivity
alerts chart •CMT
• SCC (optional)
Only when alarming
Definition of alarming varies between farmers

9.
Check alert in the barn
• Only 3,5% of the alerts are checked by the
farmer!

10.
Alerts checked by farmer (n=15)
20%
Clinical
13% Subclinical
Negative
67% CMT

11.
Alerts checked by researcher
Overview of the checked mastitis alerts
Clinical
mastitis Subclinical mastitis Negative CMT Total
Number of individual quarter
alerts 30 47 150 227
Number of repeated quarter
alerts 9 81 104 194
46%
Total 39 128 254 421
10% 60%

12.
Checked clinical mastitis 26%
Unchecked clinical mastitis 74%
Subclinical mastitis 100%

13.
Reasons to check (n=15)
• Combination of:
– Milk production decrease alarming
– Flakes/clots on milk filter
– High conductivity
– Failure in milking
– History of teat damage
– Earlier flakes/clots in milk

14.
Reasons not to check (n=421)
• No flakes/clots on milk filter 28%
• Milk production decrease not alarming 19%
• Repeatedly on list 10%
• No time 10%
• Conductivity level is not alarming 5%
• Malfunctioning AMS 4%
• Other 24%

15.
Eye openers
• Selection on milk production deviation (6/7)
• None of the farmers uses CMT for detection
subclinical mastitis
• Broken sensor → lot of alerts → no repair
• Sensitivity <100% - 2 cases clinical mastitis
without alert

16.
Conclusions
60 % of alerts false positive
3% of alerts is checked by farmers
checked alerts are often clinical cases
74 % of clinical cases is missed
How bad is this?
Check Interpret Check Interpret Check alert Interpret Take action
report report history history in the barn check •Take milk
• Conductivity •Check history alert alert •Check cow •Alarming? sample
• Colour alert and/or •Milkquality •Check alert in •Check udder Take action •Treat mastitis
• Milk production check alert in •Milk visits the barn •Spurt and
deviation the barn check milk
• Total number of •Conductivity
alerts chart •CMT
• SCC (optional)

17.
Thank you for your attention