A Tool Box for Assessing Cow, Udder and Teat Hygiene

Infection of the mammary gland with environmental bacterial pathogens is the most significant udder health problem facing the dairy industry in North America. Forty years ago, Neave et al. (1966) stated that the rate of new intra-mammary infection is related to the number of bacteria that the teat end is exposed to, and several studies have made associations between clean housing, clean cows and lower bulk tank somatic cell counts (Bodoh et al., 1976; Barkema et al., 1998; Barkema et al., 1999). In addition, Bartlett et al. (1992) found that an index of environmental sanitation based on the amount of manure on the cow and in her environment was a predictor of the occurrence of coliform mastitis, and Ward et al. (2002) noted that in four study herds, the lowest incidence of mastitis occurred in the herd with the cleanest cows and the most satisfactory beds.