Deliverable (D15) available

The nineteenth deliverable of the project is the third one within work package 6, 'Effectiveness of automatic cleaning of udder and teats and effects of hygiene management' and is entitled 'Report on hygiene measures resulting in adequate teat cleaning'.

This deliverable reports research on management factors signifantly associated with teat contamination. An investigation was performed on 18 farms. Differential bacterial counts in bulk tank milk were determined to find potential failures in melk quality and in fresh bedding material levels of bacterial contamination were determined. Furthermore the hygiene management on the farms was evaluated by means of a questionnare-based interview with the farmers and an additional checklist was used to dermine the actual hygiene status on the farms.
AM specific management factors associated with high average teat contamination on farms were: replacement of teat cleaning device ≤ once per year, moderate/poor status of the teat cleaning device, average milking frequency per day ≤ 2.5 and ID selection of cows for robot acceptance. Factors not directly related to AM involved contamination of cubicles: less than one cubicle per cow, cows lying on alleys, addition of fresh bedding material less than once per day, no selection of cows for udder health, moderate/poor status of bedding material and moderate/poor status of claws were significantly related to high teat contamination.

Additional factors like the general impression of the robot, cleaning frequency of the milking box, status of teat cups and the use of cow brushes in the barn were probably more closely related to the general attitude of the farmer towards hygiene than to teat cleanliness. Other factors can be regarded as generally accepted hygiene measures, because nearly all farmers practised cubicle cleaning twice per day, shearing of udders and cutting of tail heads. These factors should therefore be considered as basic hygiene measures.

It is concluded that, although the cause and effect relationship between parameters used to evaluate hygiene management on farms and teat cleanliness was not always very strong, these factors should be considered when improvements of teat cleanliness are intended. Even with very good conditions it will be unavoidable that individual cows will have soiled teats, but farm management should aim for clean udders in the majority of cows. Apart from those factors which are specific for AM systems (e.g. frequency of replacing teat cleaning devices, milking frequency) it can be expected that factors mentioned above can also improve teat cleanliness on farms with conventional milking systems.

© Animal Sciences Group - Wageningen UR. Last update: 20-02-2008 10:03.
Mail any questions and remarks to: webmaster.asg@wur.nl