Chapter 10.12

10.12 -Low-Cost Strip Cup for Early Detection of Mastitis Disease in Cows

Maddy McNichol ,University of Guelph, Canada

Suggested citation for this chapter.

McNichol,M. (2022) Low-Cost Strip Cup for Early Detection of Mastitis Disease in Cows, The Encyclopedia for Small Scale Farmers. Editor, M.N. Raizada, University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.farmpedia.org

Introduction

Mastitis is a disease of the cow udder (Cheng & Han, 2020); its detection minimizes economic losses and safeguards the health of the herd which is crucial for effective herd management. The development of a low-cost strip cup emerged as a practical and accessible solution for farms aiming to detect mastitis early. A strip cup is a simple and effective tool that visually aids the examination of milk during the milking process (Yutzy, 2022). This guide will provide insights into the usage and benefits of a low-cost strip cup for detecting mastitis. By adopting this tool and embracing it into farming practices, farmers can enhance their ability to monitor their herds' health. The emphasis on early detection ultimately contributes to improved milk quality, increased productivity, and sustainable dairy farming practices.

Understanding Mastitis

Mastitis impacts each quarter of the udder separately; if one quarter of the udder becomes impacted, it does not necessarily result in each quarter becoming infected, if treated properly. Cow mastitis is a response to the mammary gland that is caused by physical trauma, like one cow kicking another cow’s udder, or from an infection in the udder. It is a very common disease that can lead to economic losses because of the reduced quality or yield of the milk (Cheng & Han, 2020). Mastitis is estimated to cause a loss of USD $147 per cow per year (Cheng & Han, 2020). Mastitis negatively impacts milk production as it produces clumps, small or large, blood in the milk and infection, inflammation and pain to the udder, into that quarter of the udder. Improving the environment that the cow is residing in can help with the prevention of mastitis. This includes enhanced milking hygiene, implementation of post-milking teat disinfection, and maintenance of milking machines (Cheng & Han, 2020). For farmers to produce high-quality milk, a well-defined milking procedure must be undertaken by everyone on the farm that reduces pathogen exposure by having clean and dry conditions for the cows (Yutzy, 2022). Depending on the type of bedding and stall that a farmer has implemented, the bacteria can be spread if a cow lactates on the bedding, or if bedding is left wet, resulting in infection.

There are seven recommended methods of preventing the spread of mastitis from Jacobsen and Olsen (1935), which are still used today: (1) test every quarter of every cow at regular intervals to locate sources of infection; (2) isolate badly infected cows by placing them at the end of the milking queue and use extreme precautions at milking time; (3) destroy all stringy or badly infected milk and never permit infected milk into the bedding; (4) wash the hands after milking each cow if infected individuals are milked with normal cows; (5) if milking machines are used, dip the teat cups in a disinfectant solution to prevent transfer of infection from one cow to another; (6) careful feeding and management: avoid exposure during bad weather, avoid crowding sheds and stanchions, avoid excessively high protein feed, and use plenty of bedding; and (7) when badly infected individuals become unprofitable, remove them completely from the herd.

What is a Low-Cost Strip Cup

(FIGURE #1, (Farmers Depot, 2024)).

How it works is it has a sifter inside the cup to catch the abnormalities so the irregularities are easy to see. Before each milking, milk a few streams of milk into the strip cup from one teat only, then spread the milk on the plate of the strip cup and carefully check for impurities in the milk, then clean the strip cup and check the milk from the next teat, and repeat for every cow, for each milking (FAO, 2024). There are also other methods to detect mastitis, but they are more costly, and the strip cup is just as reliable as any other method used. It is important to train farm helpers and employees on how to examine the milk for any abnormalities by streaming a few stripes of milk into the strip cup. Some of the gross abnormalities usually are blood, flakes, clots, and wateriness, which are suggestive of mastitis (Diwakar & Yadav, 2016).

(FIGURE #3, (Knowles, 2023)).

A strip cup could be made at home using a milking pail, a small clear container, and two rubber bands, or something to secure a small clear container to the side of your milking pail (Knowles, 2023). A video in the Practical Links below demonstrates how to make a strip cup locally.

Benefits of Low-Cost Strip Cups

Detecting bovine mastitis early is the goal of the strip cup. By detecting mastitis early, the herd’s health is improved because the farmer is able to isolate the cow with mastitis and stop the bacterial spread to other cows, thus guaranteeing the farmer’s profits, though that may not be the goal. Maintaining herd health should be the farmer’s main goal, as they are responsible for ensuring the best possible care for their herd. The strip cup allows farmers to watch their herd more closely and to catch symptoms of mastitis.

Another benefit is the low cost of the strip cup. A strip cup can be purchased online or at farm/livestock goods stores, and it is extremely affordable. In Kenya, a strip cup costs about KSh 3,400, which is the equivalent to $25 USD (Imagine care, n.d.). In Uganda, a strip cup costs 46,000 UGK (Inputi, 2022), which is equivalent to $12 USD. There are a few other methods to detect mastitis early, but none are this cheap, and will save the farmer money on veterinary bills. Anywhere from 50% to 80% of clinical mastitis cases may not be cured from an antibiotic treatment (Bignardi da Costa, & Schuenemann, 2021). This means that only susceptible pathogens (the type of infection) can be treated with antibiotics, costing the farmer more money to treat the animal.

Critical Analysis

Though the strip cup is extremely beneficial, it is at the farmer’s discretion to make sure that the strip cup is properly maintained and used at each milking, on each teat, on each cow. The farmer must trust their employees to properly take care of all equipment, if the farmer is not the one milking. Some challenges could include incompetence of the employees, lack of knowledge of what to look for, mistreatment of the equipment, and if the signs of mastitis are large enough to be caught by the strip cup. To reiterate, some of the signs of early mastitis include blood, flakes, clots, and wateriness, which are suggestive of mastitis (Diwakar & Yadav, 2016). Wateriness can be seen if on a solid surface, but not in the strip cup alone, and if flakes in the milk are too small, they may not be caught in the sieve of the strip cup.

The strip cup presents a challenge for small-scale farmers in remote areas in Africa or Asia. The limitations are the ability to get to an agriculture store or to get access to a website and ability to purchase the strip cup. Asking for help from family members in cities, or closer to the cities, to obtain the strip cup would be very useful. Another challenge for remote areas is the availability of veterinary care. The available number of veterinarians in Sub-Saharan Africa remains very low (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2024).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the development and implementation of the low-cost strip cup for mastitis detection represents a significant step toward improving the health and productivity of dairy cows. By providing an affordable alternative to other detection methods, the low-cost strip cup allows access to mastitis monitoring. This accessibility is crucial for small-scale farmers and allows them to take proactive measures to safeguard the health of their dairy cows, while maintaining milk production. Farmers can make their own strip cups in remote regions.

Furthermore, the simplicity and user-friendly nature of the strip cup make it a practical tool for on-farm use, allowing farmers to regularly monitor their herds without extensive training or expertise. Early detection of mastitis can lead to intervention and treatment, reducing the severity of mastitis, minimizing the farmer’s economic loss, and enhancing animal welfare.

Practical Resources to Get Started

Jessica Knowles DIY Strip Cup

The Simple Strip Cup Milking Hack

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: Dairy Farming Manual https://www.fao.org/3/t1265e/t1285e05.htm

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: Access to Livestock Services https://www.fao.org/one-health/areas-of-work/integrated-one-health-services/en

Best Milking Practices for Small-Scale Dairies https://smallfarms.oregonstate.edu/best-milking-practices-small-scale-dairies

References

1.Bignardi da Costa, L., & Schuenemann, G. (2021, July 30). Key Mastitis Control Points for Best Milk Quality. Key Mastitis Control Points for Best Milk Quality. Ohio Dairy Industry Resources Center. https://dairy.osu.edu/newsletter/buckeye-dairy-news/volume-23-issue-4/key-mastitis-control-points-best-milk-quality

2.Cheng, W. N., & Han, S. G. (2020). Bovine Mastitis: Risk Factors, Therapeutic Strategies, and Alternative Treatments - A Review. Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences 33, 1699-1713. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7649072/#:~:text=INTRODUCTION,quality%20of%20milk%20%5B1%5D

3.Diwakar, R., & Yadav, V. (2016). Current Trends in Diagnosis of Mastitis: In Field Veterinary Practices. International Journal of Research in Applied, Natural and Social Sciences, 4(8), 95-100.

4.FAO (2024). Small-Scale Dairy Farming Manual. Food and Agricultural Organization, Rome https://www.fao.org/3/t1265e/t1285e05.htm

5.Farmers Depot. (2024). Strip Cup. https://www.farmersdepot.ca/strip-cup-690532

6.Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2024). Smallholder Farmer Access to Livestock Services. One Health. https://www.fao.org/one-health/areas-of-work/integrated-one-health-services/en

7.Imagine care (n.d.) Image Care | Cleaning | Fumigation | Sanitary Bins | Agrochemicals ... Imagine Care Limited. (n.d.). https://imaginecare.co.ke/

8.Inputi. (2022). Strip Cup. https://inputi.market/

9.Jacobsen, J. H., & Olson, T. M. (1935, January 1). The Detection of Mastitis in Dairy Herds. Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange. https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/agexperimentsta_bulletins/290/

10.Jones, G. M. (2006, October 9). Milking Practices Recommended to Assure Milk Quality and Prevent Mastitis. Milking Practices Recommended to Assure Milk Quality and Prevent Mastitis. The Cattle Site. https://www.thecattlesite.com/articles/714/milking-practices-recommended-to-assure-milk-quality-and-prevent-mastitis/

11.Kerr, S. (2020, July 17). Best Milking Practices for Small-Scale Dairies. College of Agricultural Sciences. https://smallfarms.oregonstate.edu/best-milking-practices-small-scale-dairies

12.Knowles, J. (2023, September 2). A Simple DIY Strip Cup Trick for Milking. The 104 Homestead. https://104homestead.com/diy-strip-cup-trick/

13.Mann, S. (2016, June 16). $400 Million a Year: The Cost of Mastitis in Canada’s Dairy Cows. Farms.com. https://www.betterfarming.com/online-news/400-million-year-cost-mastitis-canada%E2%80%99s-dairy-cows-61466

14.Products: Mastitis Detection: Strip cup. AMBIC Equipment Ltd UK. (2021, August 19). https://ambic.co.uk/products/mastitis-detection/strip-cup/#:~:text=The%20Ambic%20StripCup%20has%20been,the%20risk%20of%20cross%2Dcontamination.

15.Yutzy, A. (2022, December 21). Milking management: Consistency is the key!. Penn State Extension. https://extension.psu.edu/milking-management-consistency-is-the-key