Disease cuts into dairy producers’ profit margins and, of course, makes life unpleasant for dairy cows. For example, mastitis is thought to affect as many as 50 per cent of dairy cattle in the United States and Canada each year. But researchers have created technology to help dairy producers select cattle with stronger immune systems.
The technology identifies cattle with a high, average, and low immune response. Cows with a high immune response do a better job of fighting off pathogens and have a more balanced immune response. Selecting cows with a high immune response not only cuts disease levels and costs, but improves the herd’s vaccination response.