Milk flow, teat morphology and subclinical mastitis prevalence in Gir cows

Abstract

-The aim of this work was to evaluate the association between milk flow, teat morphological measurements and subclinical mastitis prevalence in Gir cows. Eighty cows in the 2 nd and 3 rd lactations, with 90 to 200 days of lactation, were divided according to milk flow during milking into fast or slow groups. Teat morphometry was assessed by ultrasound scanning of the right anterior teat and external measurements. Milk samples were collected for somatic cells count (SCC) and microbiological culture. The effect of milk flow during milking was evaluated by analysis of variance of milk yield, SCC, morphometry and external measurements. The association of morphometry and external measurements of the teats with the SCC and microorganisms found in milk were analysed. Milk flow was significantly correlated to milk production. Gir cows with slower milk flow had longer teat canal and greater milk yield, in comparison to cows with fast milk flow. Teat-end to floor distance influenced SCC of Gir cows. Prevalence of subclinical mastitis and the type of mastitis-causing pathogens were not affected by milk flow during milking.Index terms: Gir, lactation, mammary gland, milking, morphology. Fluxo de leite, morfometria de tetos e a prevalência de mastite subclínica em vacas GirResumo -O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a associação entre o fluxo de leite, a morfometria dos tetos e a prevalência de mastite subclínica em vacas Gir. Oitenta vacas em 2 a ou 3 a lactação, com 90 a 200 dias de lactação, foram divididas, de acordo com o fluxo de leite durante a ordenha, nos grupos rápido ou lento. A morfometria de tetos foi avaliada por imagens de ultrassom do teto anterior direito e medidas externas dos tetos. Amostras de leite foram coletadas para a contagem de células somáticas (SCC) e a cultura microbiológica. O efeito do fluxo de leite durante a ordenha foi avaliado pela análise de variância de produção de leite, SCC, morfometria e medidas externas dos tetos. Foi analizada a associação entre a morfometria e medidas externas dos tetos e a SCC e microganismos encontrados no leite. O fluxo de leite foi significativamente correlacionado à produção de leite. As vacas Gir com fluxo de leite mais lento tinham maior comprimento de canal dos tetos e maior produção de leite, em comparação a vacas de fluxo rápido. A distância do teto ao solo influenciou a SCC das vacas Gir. A prevalência de mastite subclínica e o tipo de microrganismo causador de mastite não foram alterados pelo fluxo de leite durante a ordenha.Termos para indexação: Gir, lactação, glândula mamária, ordenha, morfologia.

Influence of Breed and Parity on Teat and Milking Characteristics in Dairy Cattle

“…Contrary to our findings, the coefficients of the correlations of the milk flow rate with the teat length and teat diameter were insignificant (18). On the other hand, on the basis of their comparison of slow and fast milked cattle, one study reported that the cattle, which were milked slowly, had a greater teat length and teat diameter (24).…”

Associations of teat morphometric parameters and subclinical mastitis in riverine buffaloes

“…No evidence for this has yet been found for dairy buffaloes. Previously, a smaller teat-end to floor distance was shown to be associated with increased risk of SCC or IMI in dairy cows (Porcionato et al 2010;Singh et al 2014).…”

Association between electrical conductivity and milk production traits in Dairy Gyr cows

“…The breed has been selected for increased milk production, but studies evaluating parameters and risk factors for mastitis in Dairy Gyr females are sparse. However, some authors recently reported a high prevalence of subclinical mastitis in herds of this breed (Porcionato et al 2010;Malek dos Reis et al 2011), possibly as a consequence of exclusive selection for increased milk production. In this respect, studies investigating indicator traits of mastitis such as SCC and EC, as well as their association with milk production and composition, are important.…”