Questions belonging to the abstract "Dry period hygiene is important to keeping infection rates low during lactation"

1. Can animals be infected with bacteria in the udder during the dry period?

 a. No, it is not possible for bacteria to grow in the udder during the dry period.
 b. Yes, and the response to infection would be obvious as signaled by inflammation and signs of clinical mastitis.
 c. Yes, and the response to infection might not be evident until lactation.
 d. b and c

 

2. Can higher SCC in some quarters during the transition to lactation indicate possible bacterial exposure within that quarter?

 a. No, as long as clinical mastitis is not present the SCC will remain low.
 b. Yes, a slower decline in SCC at the transition to lactation could indicate bacterial infection during the dry period.

 

3. What are some potential management practices that could help lessen exposure to bacteria during the dry period?

 a. Management hygiene practices similar to those of lactating animals should be practiced during the dry period.
 b. It doesn’t matter, dry cows won’t get mastitis as easily as lactating animals.
 c. If we have low clinical mastitis rates during the dry period, dry cow management practices won’t affect our mastitis rates in lactating animals.