Teat Condition Scoring as a Management Tool for Monitoring Udder Health

Abstract

When the end of the teat is smooth and undamaged, and the skin is soft and elastic, the teat can ensure its function, as a natural barrier against the intrusion of microorganisms that cause mastitis. Any type of stress applied to a teat, even for a very short period of time can cause the teat's inherent ability to withstand bacterial stress to decrease. Teat skin dryness may favour the development of teat-end hyperkeratosis, a condition that, in turn, increases the likelihood of new intra-mammary infections in dairy cows. This condition also causes pain and discomfort for the cows, thus leading to a decline in milk production. Monitoring the level of teat end hyperkeratosis using a four-point system as well as other types of teat lesions in a dairy herd, on a consistent basis, may be an extremely helpful management tool for determining whether or not the milking routine is appropriate and the risk of mastitis is controllable.