Teat condition is a key welfare and health indicator in dairy cows. Poor milking technique, equipment faults, and inadequate post-milking care cause teat damage that leads to mastitis and chronic pain.
The milking process should be designed around cow welfare and physiology, not just throughput. When vacuum levels are set too high, pulsation ratios are incorrect, or cows are overmilked, teat end damage results — a painful condition that increases mastitis risk and compromises teat integrity. Regular teat end condition scoring enables detection and correction of equipment problems before they cause significant welfare harm. The welfare-conscious dairy management approach treats milking equipment maintenance and technique as welfare interventions, not merely production management.