With the milking parlour getting increasingly busy, it is important that farmers do not overlook the importance of teat disinfection.

Consistent teat dipping/spraying can go askew as farmers are busy looking after the freshly calved cows, managing their diets, feeding colostrum, and all the other time-consuming jobs around calving.

But in reality, the hectic spring season is one of the most important times for teat disinfection.

Following the awfully wet start to the spring, farmers will be keen to get cows out to grass at every given opportunity this month to maximise the cow's dry matter intake (DMI).

But that wet weather means the farms that can get cows out to grass will have to use dirty laneways, while cows graze in mucky paddocks.

These conditions can all increase the risk of infection, which is where teat disinfection is comes in.

According to Animal Health Ireland, post-milking teat disinfection can actually reduce the risk of new mastitis infections by 50% or more when done correctly.

Teat disinfection

If teats are not disinfected, any bacteria that comes in to the parlour on cows can make its way into the liners and ultimately transfer to the teat skin of the next five or six cows that are milked with the same unit.

When this bacteria makes its way to the teat skin, it multiplies rapidly, increasing the chances of the quarter getting infected by bacteria entering the teat canal.

Proper teat disinfection will be reduce the bacterial load of bacteria such as staph aureus and strep agalactiae.

It also aids in healthy teat skin and will heal teat lesions, which all contribute to combatting and controlling mastitis.

However, the success of teat disinfectant relies of proper application, with the benefits of the procedure getting lost if the disinfectant does not cover all the teat skin.

It is easy to nip around and teat spray cows in a rushed manner to get them out as soon as possible and speed up the milking process.

We all want to be quick and efficient in the parlour, but it should not come at the price of accuracy.

Each cow should get sprayed with 15mL per milking, or 10mL when dipping, making sure all side of the teats have been sprayed.

Cows should be sprayed upwards from beneath the teats rather than from the side, which backs the point of not spraying cows as they walk out of the parlour.

Regularly check the nozzle on your spray guns to ensure it is consistent and even, as they may get clogged with dirt in the parlour. If dipping, wash the cup after each milking or sooner if contaminated.

When choosing your disinfectant, unregistered products should be avoided, as they may not provide the desired level of protection required.

If you are using barrier teat disinfectants, teat foams, high viscosity liquids, thin liquids, liquid concentrates, or ready-to-use liquid disinfectants, if the product makes a medicinal claim it must be registered and regulated by the Health Products Regulatory Authority.

If the product does not make any medicinal claims, it may be classed as a biocide. However, it is still subject to registration and regulation by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).

If you are not using a ready mix product, a fresh solution should be mixed each day using high quality water.