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

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 April 2007

Kathryn A Ellis ,
Giles T Innocent ,
Monika Mihm ,
Peter Cripps ,
W Graham McLean ,
C Vyvyan Howard  and
Dai Grove-White
Kathryn A Ellis*
Affiliation:
Division of Animal Production and Public Health, Institute of Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow Veterinary School, Bearsden Road, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
Giles T Innocent
Affiliation:
Division of Animal Production and Public Health, Institute of Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow Veterinary School, Bearsden Road, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
Monika Mihm
Affiliation:
Division of Cell Sciences, Institute of Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow Veterinary School, Bearsden Road, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
Peter Cripps
Affiliation:
Division of Livestock Health and Welfare, University of Liverpool Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leahurst, Neston, CH64 7TE, UK
W Graham McLean
Affiliation:
Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics School of Biomedical Sciences, Sherrington Buildings, Ashton Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L69 3GE, UK
C Vyvyan Howard
Affiliation:
Centre for Molecular Biosciences, University of Ulster, Cromore Road, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry, BT52 1SA, UK
Dai Grove-White
Affiliation:
Division of Livestock Health and Welfare, University of Liverpool Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leahurst, Neston, CH64 7TE, UK
*
*For correspondence; e-mail: k.ellis@vet.gla.ac.uk
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Abstract

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.

Keywords

Bulk tank somatic cell countBactosan countmastitis
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Dairy Research , Volume 74 , Issue 3 , August 2007 , pp. 302 - 310
Copyright
Copyright © Proprietors of Journal of Dairy Research 2007

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