Reducing Antimicrobial Use in Scottish Dairy Farms

It is current practice for dairy farmers to dry cows off and administer intra-mammary antibiotics to reduce the incidence of mammary infections during the dry period and in early lactation, but this practice could be adapted to significantly reduce the prophylactic use of antibiotics and the risk of antimicrobial resistance. Selective Dry Cow Therapy (SDCT), where cows only receive a teat sealant and no antibiotics at drying off, is already being discussed between processors, veterinarians and their farmer clients. However, it has not been fully adopted by all milk producers and has only been made compulsory for some farmers on retailer aligned contracts.

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