How mechanical brushing can support cow health, milk production and stress reduction

The foundations of a good dairy cow are not laid at the moment she first enters the milking robot. This happens often much earlier. During a calf’s first weeks of life, the groundwork is laid for how she will develop, how efficiently she will utilise feed later on, and how resiliently she will cope with the challenges of life as a dairy cow. Those who understand and support this journey from calf to cow are building a future-proof herd. At Lely, we therefore do not look at stand-alone solutions, but at the cow’s entire lifespan – from calf to adult milk production in the barn. With solutions such as the Lely Calm calf feeder and the Lely Vector automatic feeding system, we support dairy farmers at every stage. The data and insights generated by these solutions are brought together in Lely Horizon. This creates one connected narrative, one clear overview and one partner to build on. 

Udder health plays a crucial role in milk production, cow welfare and the daily satisfaction of dairy farmers. A healthy udder supports consistent milk yield, high milk quality and reduces the risk of mastitis. One of the most common and costly challenges in dairy farming worldwide.

In almost every case, mastitis develops when bacteria manage to enter the udder through the teat opening. The cow is not defenseless, however. The teat skin, teat canal and teat sphincter together form a highly effective natural defence system. Understanding how these mechanisms work and how farm management and milking practices can support them, is key to improving udder health on dairy farms. 

Healthy cows are the foundation of a well-run dairy farm. When it comes to udder health, early detection of problems is crucial. One of the most important indicators of udder health is the somatic cell count (SCC), also known as cell count. SCC is a parameter that is often used for (sub)clinical mastitis diagnosis and therefore this parameter is used to improve udder health. Changes in SCC often signal udder inflammation, even before visible symptoms appear. With the Lely Milk Quality Control Cell Count (MQC-C), Lely offers dairy farmers a practical tool to insert somatic cell count automatically and identify abnormalities in milk at an early stage.

The dry period plays a crucial role in the health and productivity of dairy cows. It allows the udder to recover from the previous lactation and prepares the cow for a successful start of the next one. At the same time, it is a key moment to reduce the risk of mastitis and udder infection in early lactation.

In recent years, dairy farming has moved towards a more targeted approach: selective dry cow therapy. Instead of treating all cows with antibiotics at dry off, treatment decisions are based on individual cow health. Accurate and timely insight into somatic cell count (SCC) is essential for this approach.

Udder health is a daily concern for dairy farmers, especially during lactation. When milk production drops, somatic cell count increases or mastitis appears repeatedly in the herd, farmers start looking for answers. Questions such as “Why do udder infections keep coming back?” or “Which cows need attention today?” often arise when problems are already visible. However, effective udder health management begins much earlier. 

During the lactation cycle of the cow, the udder is under constant pressure. High milk yield, frequent milking moments and changing environmental conditions all increase the risk of udder inflammation. This makes early detection and clear insight essential to prevent small deviations from developing into serious mastitis cases.

Feed intake of dairy cows forms the foundation of every successful dairy operation. Optimising feed intake directly contributes to better cow health, higher milk production, and more stable fertility. In practice, however, this remains a challenge: fluctuating forage quality, heat stress in cows, rumen acidosis, or subclinical ketosis can silently reduce feed intake.

In this article, we take a closer look at how to optimize the ration for dairy cows, which health indicators play a key role, and how cow health monitoring and data-driven cow health management can contribute to a strong, future-proof dairy herd.