On-farm study of mastitis-associated bacteria recovered from five bedding materials
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21423/aabppro20123962Keywords:
Mastitis, dairy cattle, bedding, teat-end exposure, mastitis-associated bacteria, growth patternsAbstract
Mastitis remains the most costly infectious disease affecting dairy cattle. Bacterial populations in materials used as bedding in stalls for lactating cows has been correlated with teat-end exposure to mastitis pathogens and rates of clinical mastitis. Various bedding materials have different inherent ability to promote mastitis pathogen growth. In Atlantic Canada, access to quality bedding materials is a challenge. Milk 2020, a research agency of the New Brunswick dairy industry, sponsored this project to measure the growth patterns of mastitis-associated bacteria in different bedding materials under field conditions.