649. The effect of design of teat-cup liners on mastitis incidence

Abstract

1. An experiment was carried out to study the effect on udder health and milk yield when half-udders of dairy cows were milked with either a moulded or an extruded teat-cup liner.2. There was a higher incidence of mastitis in quarters that were milked with moulded than with extruded liners, but the incidence of new infection was similar for each group of quarters.3. The types of liners used had no measurable effect on teat orifice erosion or leucocyte content of the milk, nor was the decline in milk yield with advance in lactation significantly different for the groups of quarters.We wish to thank Dr A. T. R. Mattick and Mr A. S. Foot for advice and encouragement, and Miss H. R. Chapman for assistance in the cleaning of teat-cup liners. We are indebted to Miss M. S. Hawkins and Messrs T. M. Higgs and D. S. Simpkin for technical assistance.