Fads
Disinfecting Organic Bedding. Spraying bedding with disinfectant and adding powdered lime to bedding has met with little practical success in reducing bacterial counts. These practices cause an initial decline in bacterial populations, but pathogen numbers quickly recover. Twice a day application of powdered lime may be necessary to sustain an advantage in lowering bacterial numbers.
Dry Cow Barrier Teat Dips. The use of barrier teat sealants to physically encase the teat until the mammary gland completely involutes has gained considerable attention. Controlled studies have shown that the durations that teat sealant dips remain on teats is considerably less than the time required for glands to involute. Preliminary data indicates efficacy of the product against environmental streptococci when used on cows that were not dry treated. Data to support the enhanced efficacy of such products over dry cow therapy are speculative.
Spraying Teat Disinfectants. The use of mist sprayers to apply teat dip has gain popularity in recent years. Speed and convenience are cited as the major advantages of spraying over dipping. Although spraying often increases throughput in a parlor, teat coverage is generally not as thorough and approximately twice the amount of the product is used compared with dipping. Despite the method of application, dip coverage on the teat should include all areas touched by the liner. Some producers have chosen teat spraying to avert the possibility of spreading bacteria from cow to cow with a dipper. Contamination of teat dips with mastitis pathogens during the course of a milking is highly unlikely if the product is an effective germicide and the dipper is not grossly contaminated with manure. Contamination of teat dips is more likely if used dip is left in a container between milkings. Dippers should be emptied, washed and air dried between milkings. Product left in a dipper at the end of milking should be discarded and never poured back into storage containers.