Milking performance: What teat health checks can reveal

摘要

Examining teats is a practical way of assessing milking performance, demonstrating how well optimised the milking machine settings are for udder health. These observations can also give useful information about milk quality and milking efficiency.Healthy teats provide a natural barrier to bacteria entering the udder, as well as several internal mechanisms for trapping and eliminating invading pathogens. Maximising these natural safeguards is a fundamental part of preventing udder infections, butmachine milking can interfere with these defences.