Farming practices associated with the 'udder infection' complex.
A total of 4,129 dairy cows from 47 dairy farms were submitted each year after calving to a milk sampling for bacteriological examination. Six criteria defined the udder infection complex: frequency of minor, major and rare pathogens; rate of clinical and subclinical mastitis; and index of gravity of mastitis. Forty-seven variables described practices and their associations with the type of farms (defined by the above 6 criteria) were studied. The associated variables were dipping practices, covering of the milking parlour, disinfection practices, housing cleanliness and milk production.
INRA-Theix, Laboratoire d'Ecopathologie, Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France.
B
B
Faye
N
N
Dorr
F
F
Lescourret
J
J
Barnouin
M
M
Chassagne
D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002452:Cell Count / Q000662:veterinary; D004203:Disinfection / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006799:Housing, Animal; D008414:Mastitis, Bovine / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D008892:Milk / Q000166:cytology / Q000382:microbiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index