Sources of Microorganisms - The Producing Animal

Sources of Microorganisms - The Producing Animal

Sources of Microorganisms - The Producing Animal -

Unless the producing animal is clean, and her flanks, udder and teats given special sanitary care just before milking, her body can be a source of considerable contamination.

The first few streams of milk from each teat should, be collected, separated and discarded. This flushes out the organisms that have entered the teat through the teat opening.

Milk from a cow with an infected udder is likely to contain a large number of organisms. The probability of diseases of the udder contaminating the milk is very high.

Mastitis, which is a disease causing inflammation of the udder, contributes considerable number of organisms, sometimes even blood cells, into the milk.

If all the milk is not drawn out of the udder but remains between milkings, it may spoil within the udder itself and. thus increase the count considerably.

Washing and massaging the cow's udder with a warm detergent sanitizer solution before milking serves to clean the area. The hair of all animals harbours organisms.

The hair, dirt and dust often fall from the body into the milking pails or the teat cups of milking machines. The modern practice is to keep the flanks clipped to minimize contamination.

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