“If it ain’t broke don’t fix it”

Ontario dairy farmer attitudes and perceptions towards implementing recommended milking practices

Abstract

A large part of preventing mastitis on dairy farms is achieved through the use of recommended milking practices (RMPs) that have been established and promoted by industry and milk quality organizations such as the National Mastitis Council and the Canadian Bovine Mastitis and Milk Quality Research Network. These practices include use of milking gloves, foremilk stripping, use of pre and post milking teat disinfectants, drying teats prior to milking, and use of automatic takeoffs on milking machines. However, many producers do not adopt these measures, or they only do so partially. This study aimed to explore the attitudes and perceptions of Ontario dairy farmers towards barriers for implementation of RMPs, and to investigate what motivates behavior change in relation to milking hygiene.