Herd Management Factors That Affect Duration and Variation of Adherence of an External Teat Sealant

Abstract

During 1998 and 1999, a purposive sample of Ontario dairy herds was enrolled in a study to examine management factors associated with adherence of an external teat sealant. A total of 74 herds were recruited that had previously complied with a provincial Sentinel Herd mastitis study. All herds were sent a management survey and a commercially available external teat sealant product. The sealant was applied to all cows in first lactation or greater that were scheduled to go dry. Adherence of the teat sealant was scored on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = sealant completely removed) for the first 12 d following dry off. Complete data were analyzed from 806 cows in 48 herds (mean of 17 cows/herd). Mean duration of adherence of the teat sealant was 4 d (range 1 to 7 d). Of the management factors recorded, only changing the feed to reduce milk production prior to drying off was significantly associated with 0.78-d prolonged adherence. No factors related to dry cow housing, bedding material, or floor surface were associated with the duration of adherence. The variance around the duration of adherence was examined. The median variance of adherence was 3.0 d(2), which was equivalent to a standard deviation of 2.6 d. Herds in which dry cows were housed in tie-stall barns, and the herds that used a penicillin and novobiocin combination dry cow antibiotic had the greatest variation. We concluded that modifying the ration to reduce milk production enhanced adherence of an external teat sealant. Teat-end preparation prior to application of the teat sealant is an important factor to consider when choosing to adopt this dry period mastitis prevention strategy. This study demonstrates that beyond cow- and quarter-level factors, herd management factors can influence the duration and variation of sealant adherence experienced among different herds.

Short communication: Barrier characteristics of 3 external teat sealants to prevent bacterial penetration under in vitro conditions using rubber calf-feeding nipples

“…All 3 external teat sealants adhered well to the rubber teats. However, adherence capacity under in vitro conditions in the current experiments does not necessarily equal adherence capacity in vivo-all the more so because adherence capacity and duration of adherence appear to depend on herd-and cow-management factors such as changing the ration to reduce milk production before drying off, level of milk yield before dry-off, and housing type (Lim et al, 2007b). A field study is needed to evaluate adherence capacity and duration of adherence in vivo.…”

Effect of selective dry cow therapy on dry period intramammary infection dynamics and their association with management factors in Japan

“…Management practices involving hygiene in the dry period are extremely important in the practice of SDCT in countries such as Japan where the use of an internal teat sealant is not permitted. In such countries, methods to prolong the duration of the adherence of an external teat sealant can be an interesting subject for future research (Lim, Kelton, et al, 2007; Lim, Leslie, et al, 2007). Due to the differences in the prevalence of mastitis pathogens and management practices between herds and within herds, a uniform recommendation for dry cow management is not an optimal practice.…”

Performance of a milk leukocyte differential test for decision-making in a selective dry cow therapy program

“…Various herd management factors have been shown to affect the duration of adherence and overall efficacy of external teat sealants. 28,29 As such, it is unclear if the use of external teat sealant is beneficial in the implementation of a selective DCT program.…”