ICAR Technical Series no. 7 - Nitra Proc.

Udder health in AMSFigure 2 shows the development of the arithmetic mean of herd’s somaticcell count (monthly milk recording). At the beginning there was a continualdecrease of the value. Then a stabilisation of somatic cell count mean atthe level below 100 000 cells/ml was observed. The reason for this can bethe improved milking- and cubicle hygiene.Investigation ofthe electricalconductivityIt has to be considered that the electrical conductivity is a variable for themeasuring of deviations in the permeability of the blood-udder-barrierbut not for findings of clots in the milk. The electrical conductivity is onlyan additive diagnostic parameter. In spite of this a comparison betweenconductivity “alarm” and clots in milk was carried out. In a milking robotthere is no possibility to observe the first squirts of milk. Clots were assessedas a visible sign of acute mastitis. There were 4 true positive (6.8 percent),27 false negative and 55 false positive results. It can be concluded thatthere is only a loose relation between both parameters. Similar facts arereported by Schwarzer, 2000; Trilk and Münch, 2001. With this comparisonit could be seen that at this time there are no reliable udder healthinformation.ConclusionThe safeguarding of udder health can not be achieved in an AMS withouteffective prophylactic measures. From this point of view the importantmeasures are the disinfection of teat-cleaning-brushes and teatcups withPAA as well as the spray-dipping with jodophors. The best possiblecleanliness of udders is the precondition for a very low brush- andteatcup-contamination. This is the base for an effective disinfection. Theuncertainties in the robot mastitis diagnostics are the cause for the necessityfor an additional udder health monitoring. It has to include the clinicaland bacteriological examination of the herd in regular intervals. Out ofthe available somatic cell counts of the herd, a detection of cows with highmastitis risk (> 300 000 cells/ml) must be done and measures have to bemet. The saving of working time, easement of work and improvement ofudder health are advantages which not offhand occur but also require astraight daily management.ReferencesModel, I. 1995; Pures Wasser tötet keine Keime. dlz – Agrarmagazin11, 114 – 118.Schwarzer, K. 2000; Auswirkungen eines Melkroboters auf dieEutergesundheit und die Milchhygiene. Thesis, München, Germany, p 101.Spohr, M. 2001; Melkzeugzwischendesinfektion: Einsatzkriterienund Erfahrungen in Baden-Württemberg, lecture, conference Kesla ChemieGmbH – Pharma Wolfen, March 2001, Greppin, Germany178Conference on "Physiological and technicalaspects of machine milking"