Improving Udder Health on Your Farmby Using

Best Management Practices

Source: Dr Simon Dufour & Dr Daniel Scholl

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Improving udder health on your farm

• Lowering your herd SCC• Preventing Staph. aureus infections• Preventing CNS infections

Most things to do are well known…but not applied

…Should you change your attitude?

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Attitude?Quarters had 2.4 times higher odds of acquiring a new Staph. aureus infection…when producers believe they were already doing enough about mastitis...

(in a Canadian Bovine Mastitis Research Network study)

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What can I do on my farm? Cornerstones of mastitis control• Universal dry cow treatment• Post-milking teat disinfection• Wear gloves during milking• Disinfect yours hands between

cows

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Universal dry cow treatmentIn Canada: 85% use universal dry-cow treatment

1. Prevent acquisition of new infections during the dry period2. Treat existing infections

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Post-milking teat disinfection• In Canada: 99% use universal Post

Milking Teat Disinfection• But often, use is far from optimal …• You must remember ....

1. Antiseptic: Eliminates bacteria in the milk film found on teats (mainly contagious foes)

2. Teat conditioning: Emollient (glycerin, lanolin…)

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The milk film?• During milking, teat-cup massage moved milk

around the teat

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The milk film• A teat-cup is a marvellous teat-washing

machine… Before milking After milking

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Cow to cow contagious infection transmission

Teat disinfection

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Post-milking teat disinfection• This is why it is SOOO important to apply

teat disinfection to the WHOOOLE teat!

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Within cow contagious infection transmission

Liner slips

Air intake

Vacuum is lost

Vacuum is maintained

Milk droplets can be propelled ≈ 200 km/h

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Within cow contagious infection transmission

....possibly the most important transmission route for S. Aureus

• Compared to a healthy quarter surrounded by 3 no infected quarters

An healthy quarter surrounded by 1

infected quarter is 4.5 more likely to get

infected

1Healthy

2 3Healthy

Healthy

An healthy quarter surrounded by 2

infected quarter is 6.8 more likely to get

infected

An healthy quarter surrounded by 3

infected quarter is 15.4 more likely to get

infected

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Wear gloves during milking• In Canada: 54% wear gloves

Why use gloves?• Hands of milkers are difficult to clean• Bacteria “stick’’ less to gloves

–True??

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Sceptical?

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Hands hygiene during milking(Olde Riekerink et al., 2008)

Bare hands Disinfected bare hands

Gloves Disinfected gloves

Wearing gloves and/or disinfection Quantity of bacteria?

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• Sterile solution in a glove

• Dairy producer milked cows and then dipped hand in “wet glove”

• “Juice” sent for bacterial count

Quantity of bacteria?

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Bare hands

Disinfected hands

Gloves Disinfected gloves

(Olde Riekerink et al., 2008)

Raw data

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Reduction of bacteria when compared with bare hands

85% 75% 98%

(Olde Riekerink and al., 2008)

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Wear gloves during milking• Works for Staph. aureus? (CBMRN study)

– If milkers had wear gloves… …50% of new Staph. aureus infection would have

been avoided

• Gloves for 2 milkers for 1 year = $292• SCC and Staph. aureus reduction…

Priceless!

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Teat condition• Optimistic view of “teat end”:

– The primary defence against new infection

• Pessimistic view of “teat end”:– The main access for bacteria

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Teat condition

Healthy teats(None or smooth ring)

Problematic teats(Callous, protruding…)

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Teat end conditionOdds of S. aureus infection acquisition

increase with bad teat condition

Very rough ringRough ringNo ring

1 time 2.1 times 3.5 times

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Teat end condition is drivenin large part by…OVERMILKING

Faulty milking machine or more often milking routine...

–Vacuum variation–Teat preparation - stimulation–Delay between preparation and

unit attachment (60-90 sec)–Automatic take-off adjustment

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Oxytocine

SYNCHRONISMCistern

20%

Alveolar milk 80%

TEAT preparation/stimulation

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Quick release of milk

Maximal flow

Short milking time

Adequate teat prep – lag time – take off adjustment

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Insufficient teat stimulation – lag time

Overmilked

Where is the milk?

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Inadequate teat stimulation – lag time – take off

Overmilked (5 min)

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Cull infected cows…

• By 5% the proportion of infected quarters…

… 40% of new Staph. aureus infection would be avoided

(CBMRN study)

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Keep stalls clean and dryRemove manure piles at least 3 times a day:1.5 time lower odds of acquisition of CNS infection

Cost for a 100 cows herd? On average: 560 new CNS infection avoidedAbout $0.35 / infection avoided

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Keep stalls clean and dry

Add bedding at least 2 times a day:1.3 lower odds of acquisition of CNS infection

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Bedding system

Sand bedding system:2.4 lower odds of acquisition of CNS infection

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Conclusion• Clinical vs. Subclinical

– CNS, Staph. aureus, Streptococci…• Simple and cheap solutions exist

– Keeping stalls clean– Milking with gloves– Using an adequate milking routine– …

• If you have the right attitude, of course…