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Article: Influence of Vacuum Level and Overmilking on Udder Health and Teat Thickness Changes in Dairy Ewes
- Article from:
- Journal of Dairy Science
- Article date:
- December 1, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright American Dairy Science Association Dec 2003. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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ABSTRACT
The effects of vacuum level and overmilking on udder health were studied in ewes. Vacuum levels of 36 and 42 kPa were assigned to two groups of 23 Manchega ewes in a crossover study design with two experimental periods of 5 wk for each. Moreover, for each ewe, one teat was overmilked 1.5 to 2 min at all milkings during these 10 wk. The milking machine used had a midlevel milkline and pulsation was fixed at 180 cycles per min and a pulsation ratio of 50:50. Bacterial exposure of all teats was increased by dipping them in a suspension of Staphylococcus simulons at eight milkings of each period. New intramammary infections (IMI) were not significantly affected by the vacuum level used ...