Prevalence and risk factors of teat end hyperkeratosis in cows from the Urals region of Russia

Abstract

Diseases of the dairy herd negatively affect the period of economic use of animals, the volume of milk production and its quality. In this regard, early diagnosis of diseases and their causes will reduce the incidence of dairy herds and prevent economic losses. The research of the state of udder teats in cows during lactation has been conducted in the farms of the Ural region containing Holsteinized black-motley cows with different levels of milk productivity. An analysis of the spread of teat end hyperkeratosis in different animal housing and milking technologies was carried out according to the number of lactations and the season of the year. Analysis of morbidity in farms with different levels of milk productivity showed that as animal productivity increases, more teats with signs of pathological changes are registered. Simultaneously, teat lesions are also observed when using robotic milking machines, but in smaller numbers. In autumn and winter regardless of type of milking equipment, the growth of udder teat diseases is observed. When milking by robotic system, the influence of frequency, duration of milking and other factors on the development of hyperkeratosis were analyzed. It was noted that animals with milking frequency of more than 2 times a day have a higher level of hyperkeratosis; likewise, animals with permanence in the box and prolongued milking have a higher percentage of lesions, which can be related to the narrowing of the lumen of the teat canal and excretion of a large volume of milk. Also, animals with changes in the area of the teat canal opening have changes in the qualitative composition of milk, in particular, increased protein content and a decreased lactose content, which may indicate the development of an inflammatory process in the mammary gland.