Abstract
Poor hygiene is an important risk factor for reduced udder health. Because the teat cleaning process is done automatically on farms with an automatic milking system (AMS), hygiene management might differ. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between hygiene and udder health on farms with an AMS at the farm level as well as at the cow level. Information on hygiene and udder health was collected on 151 Dutch dairy farms with an AMS. Teams of 2 veterinary students collected data with the use of a partially open-ended questionnaire and scoring protocols for hygiene of the cows, cleanliness of the AMS, and functioning of the AMS. Milk production records from the Dutch dairy herd information association were also collected. Stepwise general linear models were used to analyze the relation between hygiene and udder health at farm level. Dependent variables were average herd somatic cell count (SCC), the average percentage of new cows with a high SCC, and the incidence rate of clinical mastitis, all in the year preceding the farm visit. The annual average herd SCC was positively related to the proportion of cows with dirty teats before milking and the proportion of cows with dirty thighs. The annual average percentage of new cows with a high SCC was positively related to the proportion of cows with dirty teats before milking and the proportion of milkings where teats were not covered with teat disinfecting spray by the AMS. The annual incidence rate of clinical mastitis was positively related to the frequency of replacing the milking filters. At the cow level, hygiene scores of the udder, thighs, and legs (range 1 to 4, where 1 is clean and 4 is very dirty) were related with cow SCC from the milk production test day closest to the farm visit using a general linear mixed model. The relationship between cow SCC and the hygiene score of the udder was positive.
Highlights
The first automatic milking system (AMS) on a commercial farm was introduced in the Netherlands in 1992 (De Koning and Rodenburg, 2004)
According to Klungel et al (2000), bulk milk SCC (BMSCC) did not increase after introducing AM but was already higher before the change of system compared with other conventional herds
Compared with farms with a conventional milking system, the risk of decreased udder health on farms with an AMS still appears to be present given the increased somatic cell count (SCC) values found in this study
Summary
The first automatic milking system (AMS) on a commercial farm was introduced in the Netherlands in 1992 (De Koning and Rodenburg, 2004). In a recent study on conventional farms in the Netherlands, the average incidence rate of clinical mastitis (CM) was 30.3 cases/100 cows at risk per farm per year and the average bulk milk SCC (BMSCC) was 192,000 cells/ mL (Jansen et al, 2009). Several studies have been published regarding the increase in BMSCC after the transition from conventional milking to automatic milking (AM; e.g., Van der Vorst and Hogeveen, 2000; Rasmussen et al, 2002). According to Klungel et al (2000), BMSCC did not increase after introducing AM but was already higher before the change of system compared with other conventional herds. Many more aspects than just milking technique change in the transition of the herd from conventional milking to AM (Poelarends et al, 2004)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
