ShutOut® made a real difference for our heifers
On a 155-hectare farm in Western Southland, herd owners Mark and Ashleigh Dobson milk
530 pedigree Jersey cows, rear 185–230 heifer calves and 100–200 bull calves.
In 2024 the Dobson’s introduced ShutOut internal teat sealant (ITS) to their first calvers and saw immediate results. “Despite one of the toughest, wettest springs we’ve faced, udder health improved dramatically after using ShutOut” says Ashleigh.
The numbers tell their story:
- SCC for 2-year-olds dropped 44% from 93,000 in 2023 to 52,000 in 2025.
- Clinical mastitis cases among heifers fell 85% from 13 in 2023 to just 2 in 2025.
- By November 2025, 97% of heifers were uninfected.
The decision to use ShutOut wasn’t taken lightly.
“We were nervous about damaging teats,
introducing infection, and the hassle of stripping
out the sealant,” Mark admits. “But once we got
the hang of it, those concerns disappeared. It didn’t
make a mess and stripping it out wasn’t a big deal.”
The farm’s goal was clear: reduce antibiotic use
without compromising udder health.
“ShutOut helped us achieve that and made life
easier for our team during calving. Less mastitis
means less stress for staff and happier heifers.”
Why ShutOut?
“ShutOut is cost-effective, performs as well as
competitors, and delivers real results. We’ll keep
using it every season.”
Their advice to other farmers:
“If you’re considering an ITS, give ShutOut a try.
Even with low SCC, we saw improvements and
fewer mastitis cases—even in tough conditions. We
highly recommend it.”
AVAILABLE ONLY UNDER VETERINARY AUTHORISATION. ACVM No: A011866. Schering-Plough Animal Health Ltd. Phone 0800 800 543. www.msd-animal-health.co.nz. © 2026 Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA and its affiliates. All rights reserved.
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