Bedding material for dairy cows: effect on udder health and milk quality

Abstract

Bedding materials are often considered as part of a mastitis investigation. Dry matter content and bacteriological counts provide useful insight into bedding quality, and coliform counts of >1 000 000 cfu/g are associated with an increased risk of mastitis. Recycled manure solids bedding tends to have lower dry matter content and higher bacterial counts, relative to other organic or inorganic materials. Despite this finding, there is no clear association between bedding type and mastitis risk. This suggests that other management factors are also important in controlling infections on farm. When investigating a mastitis outbreak, bedding analysis may be useful alongside wider assessment of farm management and environment.