B10: Milk production, milking and udder hygiene

Question 1

What is the fat and protein yield per cow per lactation?

Answer 1

600kg / lactation

Question 2

What is the fat and protein yield per cow per lifetime?

Answer 2

10000 kg / lifetime.

Question 3

Step by Step, Once the Cows are in the Parlor:

Answer 3

• Wash the teats, then wipe dry with a clean dry cloth or towel
• Foremilk, checking for any symptoms of mastitis or irregularities in the milk
• Pre-dip the teats in iodine, allowing sufficient time for the product to work, then wipe dry with a clean dry cloth or towel.
• Attach the cluster unit, ensuring the clusters are squarely attached and aligned and balanced centrally

Question 4

Milking more often than twice-daily, increases the potential of:

Answer 4

• Damaged teat because of washing/ drying, removing protective moisture.
• Teat-end damage from over-milking, poorly-maintained milking equipment and poor milking
  techniques.
• Exposure to reverse milk flow or poor cluster attachment, which can lead to teat canal infection from environmental mastitis pathogens.
• Risk of exposure to contagious mastitis pathogens from infected milking equipment or unhygienic milking practices.
• Today = use the milking robot, the cows go in themselves to get milked, the robots do it all
  themselves and cleans udder.
• Robots can tell if there is blood in the milk or pathogens in the milk etc.
• This can also be unfortunate because the farmer might not really know the states of the cow’s udder,
  unless he makes rounds.

Question 5

how does mastitis impact udder health?

Answer 5

it impacts udder health via suppression of the immune system.
it increases bacteria count of milk

Question 6

Which cows are more susceptible to mastitis?

Answer 6

Cows in negative energy balance are at a higher risk of ketosis and clinical ketosis is associated with a
2-fold increase in risks of mastitis

Question 7

What other factors can influence udder health?

Answer 7

Trace minerals and vitamins can also affect udder health, e.g. selenium, vitamin E, copper, zinc,
vitamin A and beta carotene

Question 8

What mastitis control measures can be implemented to ensure udder health?

Answer 8

◦ Annual milking machine test
◦ Post milking teat disinfection
◦ Dry cow therapy on all cows
◦ Correct treatment of clinical cases and record keeping
◦ Culling chronically infected cows
◦ Good teat prep. Prior to milking to ensure teats are clean and dry
◦ Good housing and bedding management -> bedding lime on the floor of cubicle.

Question 9

milk produciton annually of holstein - fresian / fresian

Answer 9

8000-12000kg

(approx 30 litres per day)