n The Dairy Mail - Get the flow right milking equipment

Abstract

Milking machines may adversely affect udder health by damaging or changing the resistance of the cow's first line of defence : Teat skin, teat canal, and mucosal tissue. According to dairy scientist, Prof GM Jones of Virginia Tech in Blackburn, Virginia, the teat canal is the primary defence against bacterial invasion of the udder.

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The teat canal, he explains, is lined with a keratin layer which plays an important role in preventing infections. The keratin layer can be removed by overmilking, high vacuum levels, and hard liner squeezes which increase infection rates, especially with higher production.