Webinar on demand: Dairy Prime – where science meets the right post-milking choice
Dairy Global recently hosted a webinar in cooperation with Cid Lines (an Ecolab Company) on this topic – bringing together science and the right post-milking choice. If you missed the live version of this webinar, be sure to catch it now on demand!
Post-milking teat disinfection
The webinar opened with Dr Sofie Piepers, a veterinarian and managing director of MEX. She discussed how new udder infections occur, noting, “It’s crucial to understand this when selecting the right post-milking teat disinfectant.”
She outlined 2 mastitis pathogens types: contagious pathogens which spread easily from cow to cow (e.g., Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus agalactiae), and opportunistic pathogens (single animals with a specific strain are infected because these are the pathogens present in the environment). Examples of opportunistic pathogens are E. coli and Streptococcus uberis.
In reference to pathogens, she highlighted the importance of post-milking teat disinfection:
- Disinfect the teat skin (so that transferred bacteria is killed before it starts growing and multiplying);
- Form a film at the teat end (for protection against environmental pathogens);
- Keep the teat skin smooth (to limit bacteria colonisation on teat skin).
“Smooth teat skin makes it harder for bacteria to attach and colonise the teat, reducing the risk of infection,” she said.
Teat condition and research
She also highlighted studies where it was found that teats that tested positive with Staphylococcus areus had “7 times higher risk to become infected…so killing of bacteria is really important in prevention of mastitis.”
In vitro studies
Teat condition is an important parameter, she added, as this means a lower risk and chance of developing clinical mastitis.
She then discussed an in vitro study that tested the protective effect of 2 barrier teat dip products and 1 conventional teat dip against the penetration of environmental bacteria. The study found that the choice of post-milking product affects protection against pathogens. The teat dips clearly inhibited the growth of Streptococcus uberis and helped protect the teat against bacterial penetration.
In vivo studies
The goal, Piepers said, was to determine if post-milking disinfection products also have an impact on the teat skin condition and bacterial load. Conclusions in this study showed the variation of teat skin condition of cows in the same herd – dry to very dry teat skin is associated with Staphylococcus spp and SSLO and showed that the choice of post-milking teat disinfection influenced teat skin condition.
“If teat skin is dry or very dry, it becomes easier for bacteria to adhere and harder to remove them. The choice of post-milking product can influence teat skin condition and the bacterial load on the teat,” Piepers said.
She added that it is important to identify the dominant pathogen on-farm and to evaluate teat skin condition.
From science to farm
Adrien Tavel, global product manager at Cid Lines was up next. He highlighted that it is important to connect the scientific evidence to on-farm decisions. “That is where the Dairy Prime concept comes in – it is not a product range, but a decision framework that connects science farm, reality and execution,” he stated.
Tavel noted 3 main pillars with this concept:
- Science and innovation (all its technologies are efficient in controlling mastitis)
- Expert guidance (to really understand farm reality)
- The hygiene programme (solution tailored to each farm)
He highlighted that an effective programme starts with understanding the farm challenge. “At each farm you need to know the predominant contamination route,” Tavel stressed. Once the contamination route has been identified, the Dairy Prime approach helps define where to focus the hygiene programme. Each programme has three main steps: pre-milking udder preparation, cluster disinfection, and post-milking.
Tavel reviewed a mastitis management programme and what it means on farm. She also noted that poor teat skin condition increases the bacterial load, while certain technologies can significantly improve teat conditioning. He said there needs to be a focus on cluster disinfection and the teat, because it is a reservoir of bacteria. This means on-farm priorities should include post-milking teat condition, cluster disinfection, and pre-milking hygiene to reduce bacterial pressure on the animal.
“Science can really tell us why each situation needs the right solution – not all post dips are the same and the right programme depends on the contamination route,” Tavel concluded.
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