Significant Teat Condition Improvement by Using Teat Disinfectant in VMS Farms Previously Not Using Teat Disinfectants

摘要

Good teat condition is an important factor in preventing intramammary infections (EVA) in dairy cows that are highly challenged by environmental and cow-specific pathogens (Fox et al., 1991; Neijenhuis et al., 2000). Emollients are an important teat disinfectant component; they have a significant effect on teat skin and teat end condition (Lopez Benavides, 2014). Regardless of the known positive effects that teat disinfection has on prevention of IMI and the strong correlation that it has with low bulk milk tank SCC (<150,000 cells/mL) in dairy farms (Barkema et al., 1998), sometimes the intention to prevent disease does not turn into action by some dairy producers. The percentage of farms not using a teat disinfectant varies between 5 and 7% in theUnited States (Ruegg et al., 2005; Schewe, 2013). Similar proportions are found in Belgium (Online Mastitis Survey of Mteam UGent, 2011). In this experiment, the effect of a hydrogen peroxide teat disinfectant on short-term effect on teat condition wasevaluated in DeLaval Voluntary Milking System (VMS) farms that stopped using teat disinfectant for over a year.