Judge bedding conditioners on bacterial kill rates

Dairy farmers investing in a cubicle bedding conditioner this autumn should base their purchase decision on a product's ability to kill mastitis-causing bacteria like E.coli and Streptococcus uberis, as well as its potential to absorb moisture.

"Choosing what bedding to use in your cubicles is an important enough decision in itself, but so is the choice of bedding conditioner. And with environmental mastitis pathogens so prevalent, always look for proven data on bacterial kill rates when evaluating the claims of competing products," advises Dr Alan Reeve from C&H Nutrition.

"The type of bedding you use can have a dramatic effect on overall unit hygiene and mastitis-infection rates. Straw tends to be associated with S.uberis problems, whilst sawdust seems to increase the likelihood of E.coli infection. Both materials are organic and provide an ideal breeding ground for mastitis-causing bacteria. In fact, studies have shown that sawdust and woodshavings can become rapidly contaminated with up to 1000 million bacteria per gramme after bedding down. Damp conditions too, aid the movement of faeces onto the udders and help the bacteria to thrive," he warns.

Dr Reeve points out that lime is often used to absorb moisture in cubicles, but says that although as a strong alkali it does have some bacterial kill properties; it is also an irritant to udders.

"Proven bedding conditioner products like Dri-Li Plus are gentle on udders, as well as having independent data showing both their moisture absorbancy potential and, most importantly, bacterial kill rates. The faster bacteria like E.coli and S.uberis are knocked out, the more likely your cubicle hygiene management regime will pay off in terms of lower somatic cell counts and healthier, more comfortable cows," he stresses.