Evaluation of postmilking efficacy in goat.

This study was conducted to test the efficacy of postmilking teat dip to pr event new intramammary infections in goat. The experiment was realized for 10 months in a western France herd of about 225 goats. The experimental des ign consisted in a comparison between the right and left udder on the same goat (within goat comparison) : the right tear was submitted to a postmilki ng dip. Five bacteriological analyses and somatic cell counts for each udde r have been determined respectively at 16, 64, 122, 177 and 233 day of lact ation. As compared with the control udders, tear dipping reduced significan tly the number of new intramammary infections by 41,6 % at the beginning of the lactation and 31,8 % on the whole lactation period. Considering only t he non-infected udders, these values were higher (62,6 % and 40,6 % respect ively). Considering the non infected goats (both non infected udders) at d1 6, the prevalence of infection was significantly higher in the control grou p only at the first half of lactation : (26,2 % versus 9 %) on d64 and (36, 5 % versus 24,3, %) on d122. No significant impact of tear dipping on the r eduction of somatic cells was seen in this study.