The effect of season on the estimated prevalence risk of mastitis in Holstein first parity cows using milk recording results

The mastitis that is inflammation of the udder of dairy animal causes significant losses in dairy farm business due to reduced milk production, deterioration of individual quarters or the entire udder, premature culling of animals, death and high treatment costs. The possibility of early detection of mastitis represents important tool for the improvement of farm management and the prevention of the development of the clinical form of mastitis and the consequent costs in milk production. Therefore, the aim of this research was to determine the variability of daily milk lactose content and somatic cell count and consequently the prevalence risk of mastitis in Holstein first parity cows in Eastern Croatia depending on the season based on the results of milk recording that is using the precision dairy cattle technologies.