Dairy cow cleanliness and milk quality on organic and conventional farms in the UK

被引:70
作者
Ellis, Kathryn A.
Innocent, Giles T.
Mihm, Monika
Cripps, Peter
McLean, W. Graham
Howard, C. Vyvyan
Grove-White, Dai
机构
[1] Univ Glasgow, Div Anim Prod & Publ Hlth, Glasgow G61 1QH, Lanark, Scotland
[2] Univ Glasgow, Sch Vet, Inst Comparat Med, Div Cell Sci, Glasgow G61 1QH, Lanark, Scotland
[3] Univ Liverpool, Fac Med Vet, Div Livestock Hlth & Welfare, Leahurst CH6 7TE, Neston, England
[4] Sch Biomed Sci, Dept Pharm & Therapeut, Liverpool L69 3GE, Merseyside, England
[5] Univ Ulster, Ctr Mol Biosci, Coleraine BT52 1SA, Londonderry, North Ireland
基金
英国惠康基金;
关键词
bulk tank somatic cell count; Bactosan count; mastitis;
D O I
10.1017/S002202990700249X
中图分类号
S8 [畜牧、 动物医学、狩猎、蚕、蜂];
学科分类号
0905 ;
摘要
A subjective cow cleanliness scoring system was validated and used to assess the cleanliness score of dairy cows at different times in the year. A longitudinal study followed a number of farms from summer to winter, and a larger, cross-sectional study assessed a greater number of farms during the housed winter period. The scoring system was demonstrated to be both a repeatable and practical technique to use on-farm and showed that cows become dirtier in the transition from summer grazing to winter housing. Although farming system (organic or conventional) had no effect on cow cleanliness when cows were at grass, when housed in the winter, organic cows were significantly more likely to be cleaner. There was a link between cow cleanliness scores and milk quality, with herds having lower bulk tank somatic cell counts (BTSCC) tending to have a lower (cleaner) median cow cleanliness score; with this relationship strongest for the organic herds. There was no significant link between cleanliness score and Bactoscan (BS) count or clinical mastitis incidence. No major mastitis pathogens were cultured from bulk tank milk samples from the quartile of herds with the cleanest cows in contrast to the quartile of herds with the dirtiest cows, where significant mastitis pathogens were cultured. Based on this study, all farms, especially organic systems, should attempt to keep cows clean as part of subclinical mastitis control.
引用
收藏
页码:302 / 310
页数:9
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