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Evaluation of hydrated lime as a cubicle bedding material on the microbial count on teat skin and new intramammary infection
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2013
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ijafr_159-171.pdf
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D. Gleeson. 2013. Evaluation of hydrated lime as a cubicle bedding material on the microbial count on teat skin and new intramammary infection. Irish Journal of Agricultural and Food Research 52: 159–171
Abstract
In two experiments, the effect of applying hydrated lime as a cubicle bedding material
on the microbial count on teat skin and new intramammary infection were evaluated.
In experiment 1, dry dairy cows (n=60) were assigned to one of three cubicle bedding
treatments for a 5 week period. The treatments applied were: Hydrated lime (HL), HL (50%) + Ground limestone (50%) (HL/GL) and GL. In experiment 2, two teat disinfectants products chlorhexidine (CH) and iodine (I) were applied to teats at milking in conjunction with two cubicle bedding materials with lactating cows (n=60) for a sixweek period. The treatments applied were: HLCH; HLI; and GLI. The HL treatment
had significantly more teats (P<0.001) with no Staphylococcus spp. or Streptococcus spp.
bacteria present compared to GL. There were no differences observed between treatments
for California Mastitis Test (CMT) score at calving or somatic cell count (SCC)
post-calving. In experiment two, the HLI treatment tended (P<0.08) to have lower bulk
milk SCC than the GLI. The average bulk milk SCC over the trial period was 68,000,
54,000 and 83,000 cells/mL for HLI, HLCH and GLI, respectively. The incidences of
medium-term teat changes were numerically higher with HLI and there were no differences
in the mean hyperkeratosis score between treatments. The mean teat hyperkeratosis
scores on day 42 were 2.2, 2.1 and 2.1 for HLI, HLCH and GLI, respectively. The
HLI treatment had lower levels of Staphylococcal and Streptococcal bacteria on teats compared to GLI (P<0.001). Hydrated lime could be successfully used as cubicle bedding material for dairy cows if used at the recommended rates with either chlorhexidine or iodine based teat disinfectants.