PractitionersThe private practitioners were found to play an important role in the approach of farmers to mastitis. In questionnaires we found that the opinion of the practitioner was significantly correlated to the opinion of dairy farmers in the practice (or the other way around) on a number of subjects. If, for instance, the practitioner considered a treatment schedule for mastitis important, than the farmers thought likewise. This also showed that there is quite some difference between practitioners in this field. Some picked the matter up very thoroughly, others were less active. In all cases the practitioners needed help to get started with the subject.
The main experience from the study group meetings was that farmers appreciate new knowledge highly. Those farmers that take the effort and the costs to visit a study group on udder health, want to know what is new in the world. These study groups were found an effective way to transmit this knowledge. On the other hand farmers appreciated discussing ‘basic’ things of their daily work even more. Things like, ‘how to take a milk sample without contamination’, ‘where to inject a cow’ and ‘how to do a CMT’ were found very useful, especially if discussed/executed with the cows in the barn. It was found that farmers easier accept knowledge from a colleague telling positive experiences with a certain procedure than from a veterinarian or other expert. Study groups are a good help in creating this possibility. |