Milk yield, milk quality and survival after covered teat injuries

The objective of this study was to evaluate milk yield, milk: quality and s urvival of cows after covered feat injury. Injuries were diagnosed and trea ted using the endoscopy by Medl. Eighty-one cows submitted to the Veterinar y Clinic Babenhausen were used for this study. Each cow was matched to thre e herdmates by breed, age and calving date. The herds were visited for data collection. Data on milk yield and milk quality in the lactation the injur y was diagnosed and in the subsequent lactation were collected from the rec ordings of the Bavarian milk control board. In the time period studied cows treated for covered teat injury had the same test day milk yields and the same lactational milk yields as herdmates: they were also equal in calving interval and survival time. Covered teat injuries significantly increased t est day somatic cell count (SCC) by 128.000 cells/ml milk; they also signif icantly increased the risk of subclinical mastitis (SCC > 100.000) and the risk of violating the milk: shipping regulations (SCC > 400.000). With incr easing SCC milk yield decreased. To the herdsman costs are due to veterinar y treatment, discarded milk after treatment and decreased milk yield associ ated with increased SCC. However benefits due to shipped milk, unaffected c alving interval and unaffected survival outweigh the costs.