Farmers should now place a particular emphasis on tail clipping and shaving udders as we enter into the housing period and get closer to drying off.
A long, dirty tail can be a significant carrier of bacteria and contaminants and can cause a serious infection of the udder or cause a spike in somatic cell count (SCC) once the cows move indoors.
Dirty tails and long udder hairs can also be a hindrance for the milk operator and pose a serious threat to hygiene when drying cows off.
Long udder hairs can gather dirt and bacteria during the housing period and can eventually enter the teat canal as a result. The tail can also accumulate dirt and cause a build-up of faeces on the tail end.
Tail clipping
Removing the excess hair is something that is commonly done throughout the season but when cows come indoors, the risk of mastitis cases and high SCC increases, and so any threats to this need to be addressed.
Clipping tails is a priority and it is worthwhile to remove any dirt or excess hair around the hock of the cow, or around her back legs and the udder.
While the clippers are out, it is also a good idea to trim down the hair around the freeze brand, to ensure they are clearly visible in the coming weeks when cows are calving and milk is being sent to the dump line, as visibility of identities is crucial at this point.
Starting this process now and doing a few rows each week is crucial for a successful, clean and hygienic dry-off. Doing so will also ensure that there is no spike in SCC and mastitis cases in the coming weeks.
Another way of removing the hair from udders is to singe the hair from the udder with a yellow, airless flame.
Singeing takes less time and is as unpleasant for cows as clipping is, but clears the hairs within seconds. Ensure that this process is done in a well-ventilated space so that the smell disperses quickly.
Hairs on udders and tails is a particular risk in the autumn and winter time when the environment is humid and the temperature is constantly changing.
Drying off
Removing hairs on udders and clipping tails is particularly important when it comes to drying off, but particularly when selective dry cow therapy (SDCT) is at the forefront of drying off as the bacterial load needs to be limited.
Hygiene during SDCT is crucial, as the antibiotic has been removed which means there is no room for error.
This means that if bacteria enters the cow’s teat during drying-off, it will likely lead to an infection developing as there is no longer protection provided through the antibiotic.
For SDCT to work, high levels of hygiene are required on a farm or in a milking parlour and this can be difficult to achieve, which means the environment has to be closely monitored.
