Michigan State University AgBioResearch veterinarian Ron Erskine has received a nearly $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture to reduce mastitis and antimicrobial use in dairy cattle.
Mastitis, an infection of a cow’s udder, is the most common infectious disease in dairy cattle in North America. It typically costs between $300 and $600 per infection and adversely affects milk production and animal health.
The five-year grant is a continuation of a cooperative project that has reduced the incidence of mastitis.
Erskine and his researchers plan to develop and test a quality milk audit tool and intervention process for dairy operations, develop and test a quality milk specialist certification program, and then evaluate the impact of the audit interventions on dairy farms.