Bovine Teat Injuries: Welfare and Milking Management

Key Facts

• Teat-end hyperkeratosis (rough teat ends) occurs in 30-40% of dairy cows and increases mastitis risk 2-4 fold
• Over-milking and excessive vacuum levels are primary causes of teat-end hyperkeratosis
• Traumatic teat injuries from treading, machinery, and fighting cause acute pain and infection risk
• Teat canal lesions allow pathogen entry and are major risk factors for clinical mastitis
• Regular teat scoring (0-4 scale) allows herd-level teat health monitoring and milking equipment optimization

Welfare Considerations

Teat injuries cause significant welfare suffering through pain during milking and the consequent predisposition to mastitis. Cows with hyperkeratotic teat ends are sensitive to milking machine overmilk — the rough keratin around the teat orifice traps bacteria and impairs the natural keratin plug defense. Traumatic injuries from treading or machinery cause acute pain and distress. Welfare-centered milking management requires correct vacuum levels, appropriate cluster removal timing, post-milking teat dipping, and regular teat scoring to identify equipment adjustments needed to protect teat health.

What You Can Do

• Implement teat scoring every 6 months to track teat-end hyperkeratosis prevalence as a welfare indicator
• Optimize milking machine settings: vacuum level, pulsation rate, and automatic cluster removal timing
• Apply effective post-milking teat dip consistently to all quarters after every milking
• Treat traumatic teat injuries promptly to prevent infection and secondary mastitis
• Investigate teat-end hyperkeratosis above 20% prevalence as a milking management problem requiring review