A vet widely credited with establishing teat sealing as standard practice in New Zealand dairy heifers has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the King’s Birthday Honours List. Dr Katrina Roberts, a herd health vet and dairy consultant for Anexa, says the email was a complete surprise.
“My initial response was I actually thought it was spam,” she says.
“My husband confirmed to me no, it was actually legitimate, then I just sort of filed it and tried to pretend it wasn’t real for a few days.”
Roberts says the recognition reflects work that began when she arrived in New Zealand as a new graduate 23 years ago, taking a clinical role in the Waikato alongside a master’s project on heifer mastitis risk factors and prevention options. At the time, the problem was poorly understood within the research community, but farmers knew it well.
“They put all this effort into growing their heifers, and for them to get mastitis on the first day of lactation, and then potentially lose that quarter, and end up being culled because of mastitis that couldn’t be cured was exceedingly disappointing for them.”
Roberts says a prevalence survey across the Waikato and Taranaki found average herds were recording 15 to 20% heifer mastitis. Teat seal existed as a product used at drying off in lactating cows but had not been trialled in heifers. A four-herd pilot study using pre-calving infusions showed it worked, and Roberts says the results in commercial herds today surpass even those early trial figures.
“In herds that are using a teat sealant, the results are probably even better than my original trial work, and they’re only getting 4 to 5% mastitis, if that.”
Roberts has worked primarily as a farm consultant for the past 15 years alongside her clinical role. She undertook Kellogg research, examining the attributes of successful vet-farmer advisory relationships, with the aim of encouraging more vets to move into that space.
“I see there being huge potential for other vets to do the same.”
Roberts is also a mentor to young vets entering the profession, and she loves working with farmers and helping them both achieve their goals.
“It’s a really privileged position in terms of being able to work alongside farmers in some pretty interesting conditions.
“If you want to work with farmers and rural communities, you’re right in amongst it all the time.”
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