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…