Conclusions

PARAMETERS IN MILK QUALITY AND MASTITIS

machine is detached. If not, the milk film will be a perfect growth medium for the mastitis-causing organisms that are on the teat, especially if these come into contact with manure and organic bedding. This will help prevent pathogens from entering the teat end and help reduce the incidence of mastitis and improve milk quality. Good teat disinfectants should have documented efficacy against the major mastitis pathogens. In addition, they should be economical and should maintain good skin condition. Both traditional and barrier teat dips are available.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

After the milking is done, cows should exit the parlor to fresh water and feed rather than lie down (Fig. 5). This will allow the teat end to close before exposure to pathogens present in the bedding. It takes 25 to 30 minutes for the sphincter at the end of the teat canal to close. The milking should be regular by starting at the same time and in the same way every day. A milking routine should be followed consistently. In addition, milking routines should be optimized to avoid wasted efforts. All cows known to have mastitis or other conditions should be separated from the herd, housed in a separate pen and milked last to avoid the spread of disease from cow to cow. A practical method to evaluate the milking routine consists is checking the milk filters used during milking. Dirty filters indicate that teats are not being adequately cleaned prior to milking. Filters that are full of garget indicate the possibility of clinical mastitis not being adequately identified. Both territorial and sequential milking routines are adequate as long as the steps and times are respected.

3 The milking routine and its effect on milk quality

Figure 5. Cows should have access to fresh feed immediately after milking to allow the teat ends to close before the cows lie down.

Once a suitable milking routine has been developed, it should be typed, distributed to the milkers in their native language and posted in the milking parlor.

Training should be conducted to explain the reason behind the different steps in the routine. Clear communication of expectations that the routine needs to be followed by all milkers should be part of the training. A good milking routine will ensure cows are being milked in a timely fashion while producing better quality milk, thus providing for a more profitable dairy.

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The publishing strength of Grupo Asís

Editorial Servet, a division of Grupo Asís, has become one of the reference publishing companies in the veterinary sector worldwide. More than 15 years of experience in the publishing of contents about veterinary medicine guarantees the quality of its work. With a wide national and international distribution, the books in its catalogue are present in many different countries and have been translated into nine languages to date: English, French, Portuguese, German, Italian, Turkish, Japanese, Russian and Chinese.

Its identifying characteristic is a large multidisciplinary team formed by doctors and graduates in Veterinary Medicine and Fine Arts, and specialised designers with a great knowledge of the sector in which they work. Every book is subject to thorough technical and linguistic reviews and analyses, which allow the creation of works with a unique design and excellent contents.

Servet works with the most renowned national and international authors to include the topics most demanded by veterinary surgeons in its catalogue. In addition to its own works, Servet also prepares books for companies and the main multinational companies in the sector are among its clients.

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