Livestock Health
Industry knowledge and research data.
Cluster Spraying
Mastitis remains a major health and economic issue for dairy farms. Cow to cow transfer of mastitis pathogens via the milking unit is a risk factor for mastitis on both conventional and robotic milking installations. In conventional milking cluster disinfection between cows has been demonstrated effective for reducing mastitis risk. Success of cluster disinfection is a result of the practice implemented and by disinfectant used. Widespread use of cluster disinfection has been hampered by difficulties in implementing a consistent routine.
Although herdsmen may not have understood the biology of their pre-milking routine back in the days of milking in cow sheds, they knew that to not properly stimulate a cow lead to a more difficult hand milking and lower milk yields.
