Effect of Pre-Milking Teat Foam Disinfection on the Prevention of New Mastitis Rates in Early Lactation

Simple Summary

The benefits of pre-milking teat disinfection have varied depending on management, practices and bacterial strains present in the environment, with some studies stating a reduction in the incidence of new infections and other studies stating little benefit of pre-milking teat disinfection. Furthermore, the effectiveness of pre-milking teat disinfection using foam has not previously been evaluated in a pasture-based dairy herd. This study has shown little benefit of applying a foaming pre-milking teat disinfectant in early lactation in a pasture-based dairy herd. However, the foaming teat disinfectant reduced bacterial counts on teat skin and may reduce the bacterial contamination of milk.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the benefit of pre-milking teat foam disinfection on the prevention of new infections by contagious and environmental bacteria in two spring calving herds managed outdoors (Herd 1 [H1]; 331 cows and Herd 2 [H2]; 142 cows). Four pre-milking teat preparation treatments were applied post calving; with each herd receiving two treatments; using a split udder design (for approx. 15 weeks). These treatments included; (1) ‘water wash, foam application and dry wipe (WFD) in H1′; (2) ‘water wash and dry wipe (WD)’ in H1; (3) ‘foam application and dry wipe (FD)’ in H2; (4) ‘no teat cleaning preparation (NP)’ in H2. Individual quarter foremilk samples were collected on four occasions and all clinical and sub-clinical cases were recorded. The mean SCC of quarter foremilk samples was 134 × 10³ cells/mL and 127 × 10³ cells/mL for WD and WFD, respectively, and 109 × 10³ cells/mL and 89 × 10³ cells/mL for NP and FD, respectively (p > 0.05). Lower bacterial counts were observed on teat skin that received a foaming treatment. Pre-milking teat disinfection using a foaming product may be of little benefit, in early lactation, for a pasture-based dairy herd.

Longitudinal study of herd udder hygiene and its association with clinical mastitis in pasture-based dairy cows

The objectives of this exploratory study were to (1) describe the association between herd-level udder hygiene and clinical mastitis and (2) investigate how sample size and milking stage affect the accuracy and precision of herd udder hygiene assessments made at milking time. A prospective longitudinal study was conducted in a dairy herd in Northern Australia as part of a previously published clinical trial of premilking teat disinfection. Video footage from 35 afternoon milkings was used to conduct 12,544 udder hygiene scores from 504 cows during an 89-d period and measure udder hygiene of the herd (proportion of cows with udder hygiene ≥3 out of 4). Linear interpolation was used to estimate herd udder hygiene on the days that were not scored, such that a herd-level udder hygiene measure was available for all cow-days in the study. Clinical mastitis events occurring during the study period were detected and recorded by farm staff according to a standardized definition. The relationship between herd udder hygiene on each of 1, 2, and 3 d before each study day (d -1, -2, and -3, respectively) and clinical mastitis at the cow level on each study day (each in turn being set as d 0) was determined using multivariable generalized estimating equations (family = Poisson, link = log), with the unit of analysis being the cow-day, adjusting for potential confounders and the clustering within the data. In addition, sampling strategies were evaluated by simulating herd udder hygiene assessments using a subset of cows in the herd. Herd udder hygiene from d -1, -2, and -3 was positively associated with clinical mastitis on d 0 (incidence rate ratio = 1.4 per 10-point increase in the percentage of cows with poor udder hygiene). Sampling strategy simulation found that at least 80 cows needed to be scored to achieve sufficiently precise estimations of herd udder hygiene. Furthermore, cows scored later during milking were slightly more likely to have poor udder hygiene than those scored earlier (risk ratio = 1.02 for cows that were 10% later in the milking order). More research is needed to evaluate risk factors for poor udder hygiene and potential interventions in pasture-based dairy cows.

Functional state of the udder of cows after the treatment of the udder nipples with hygiene products during milking

During the experiments, it was found that the latent period of the breast-feeding reflex is 22.8% less, the milking time is 10.8% less. The average milking intensity increases by 22.7%, intravenous pressure - by 19.4%, with an increase in single milk yield by 15.3%. The concentration of Staph. aigees, Strep. agalactiae, was lower when the nipples were immersed in a solution of hygiene products "Chlorhexidine bigluconate-aloe" and "Teasfoam Supercow-olive oil" before and after milking, compared with untreated nipples. Controlled treatment of the udder nipples and mammary gland with the hygienic product "HGB aloe" before and after cow milking with high milk yields in 2.4% of animals prevents hyperkeratosis of the udder nipples and in 12.1% subclinical mastitis, against 5.4% heperkeratosis and 26.5% subclinical mastitis of control groups of dairy cows. Using hygienic products, an increase in milk yield in cows is provided by 18.45...22.0%, and the functioning of the udder by 16.45...26.34 %. To improve the functioning of the udder during lactation in cows, hygiene products "Chlorhexidine bigluconate-aloe" or "Teasfoam Supercow–olive oil" should be used to treat the udder nipples before and after each milking.

Effect of pre-milking teat disinfection on new mastitis infection rates of dairy cows

Background

The practise of teat disinfection prior to cluster attachment for milking is being adopted by farmers in Ireland, particularly where there are herd issues with new infection rates. Pre-milking teat disinfection has been shown to reduce bacterial numbers on teat skin and to be most effective against environmental bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Streptococcus uberis. A split udder design experiment was undertaken on two research herds (A = 96 cows: B = 168 cows) to test the benefit of pre-milking teat disinfection on new mastitis infection levels. The disinfectant was applied to the left front and right hind teats of all cows in each herd and the right front and left hind teats received no disinfectant treatment prior to milking over a complete lactation. Individual quarter foremilk samples were taken on 5 occasions during the lactation and all clinical cases were recorded. The presence and number of staphylococcus and streptococcus bacteria on teat skin of a random sample of experimental cows (n = 20) was measured on 3 occasions during lactation (April, June, and October).

Results

Pre-milking teat disinfection had no significant impact on quarter SCC and new infection rates (P > 0.05). The median SCC was 169 (95% CI = 144–198) × 10³ cells/mL and 170 (95% CI = 145–199) × 10³ cells/mL for disinfected teats and non-disinfected teats, respectively. There were no differences in SCC observed between herds (A = 161 (95% CI = 127–205) × 10³ cells/mL; B = 169 (95% CI = 144–198) × 10³ cells/mL) over the complete lactation. Bacterial levels on teat skin were reduced significantly with pre-milking teat disinfection compared to teats receiving no disinfectant (P < 0.001). Total infections (clinical and sub-clinical) were similar for disinfected teats (n = 36) and not disinfected teats (n = 40), respectively. Staphylococcus aureus (n = 47) and Strep. uberis (n = 9) were identified as the predominant bacteria in quarter foremilk samples with both clinical and sub-clinical infections.

Conclusion

SCC and new infection rates were similar in non-disinfected teats and disinfected (pre-milking) teats. The routine application of pre-milking teat disinfectant in pasture-grazed herds is unlikely to be of benefit where herd SCC is below 200 × 10³ cells/mL.

Associations between milking practices, somatic cell counts and milk postharvest losses in smallholder dairy and pastoral camel herds in Kenya

On-farm hygienic practices are important in assuring quality and safety of milk for consumers and for reducing losses at production and at post-harvest. This study investigated the relationship between milking practices, mastitis as well as milk somatic cell counts (SCC) and the effects of high SCC on milk production and post-harvest losses (PHL) in smallholder dairy (n = 64) and pastoral camel (n = 15) herds in Kenya. The collected data included milking practices, mastitis test on udder quarters (n = 1236) and collection of milk samples for laboratory analyses: SCC, detection of Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus species. Production losses were computed as a proportion of cows and herds with SCC (>200,000 cells/mL) and PHL as quantity of milk exceeding 4 × 10⁵ cells/mL. Practices associated with production herds included hands, udder washing and drying, and milk let down stimulation with calves suckling or manually (p < 0.001). Udder drying was only applied in peri-urban herds (100%). Herd level prevalence of mastitis was lower in smallholder than in pastoral herds (60.7% vs 93.3%). Mastitis positive samples had higher prevalence of S.aureus than of Streptococcus species in both smallholder (57.9% vs 23.7%) and pastoral (41.6% vs 36.5%) herds. Moreover, SCC was significantly affected by presence of mastitis and S.aureus (p < 0.001). Milk PHL from high SCC was higher in smallholder rural herds (27%) compared to peri-urban (7%) and in pastoral peri-urban (81%) compared to rangelands (76%). Milking practices may have contributed to maintain mastitis pathogens in herds. This has led to substantial pre and postharvest milk losses in smallholder and pastoral herds. Therefore teat dipping, dry cow period and herd level mastitis treatment may complement current practices for lower SCC and milk PHL.

Influence of milking method, disinfection and herd management practices on bulk tank milk somatic cell counts in tropical dairy herds in Colombia

The aims of this study were to evaluate the effects of milking method, disinfection practices and other management factors on the bulk tank milk somatic cell count (BTSCC) in tropical dairy herds and to examine potential interactions with time. One hundred and thirty farms in the Northern region of Antioquia, Colombia, were visited once per month for 24 months. A two level linear mixed model for repeated measures was used to assess the impact on log transformed BTSCC (lnBTSCC). The geometric mean of the BTSCC for all herds was 262,330 cells/mL. The two-level linear mixed model showed that lnBTSCCs in hand milked herds were significantly higher than in machine milked herds. Fore-stripping corresponded with a 27% increase in lnBTSCC and failing to post-dip corresponded with a 45% increase in lnBTSCC. The two way interactions of sampling month with milking method, singeing udders and pre-dipping were significant. The lowest predicted lnBTSCC was observed in machine milked herds that practised both pre-dipping and singeing of udders. This study suggests that milking procedures and disinfection practices can interact with time and have substantial effects on lnBTSCC.