@conference {41493,
	title = {Relationship between intramammary infection and teat characteristics},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {64},
	year = {2004},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {147-149},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	address = {Hamilton},
	abstract = {The relationship between teat characteristics and intramammary infection (IMI) was investigated in 111 cows. These cows were scored visually on teat shape, teat-end shape and teat pigmentation. Subsequently, foremilk quarter samples were collected weekly for 14 weeks from calving to assess bacterial presence and somatic cell count (SCC). Teat shape and teat-end shape were combined and termed teat type. The distribution of teat type was cylindrical- round (34\%), funnel-round (21\%), cylindrical-flat (16\%) and bottle-round (9\%). Approximately 44\% of teats were fully pigmented (black/brown) while 25\% of teats were pigmented over less than 20\% of the surface area. The frequency of quarters that never became infected during the trial period was 78.4\% and the mean SCC was 69,000 cells mL-1. Among the infected quarters, the most frequently isolated pathogens were Corynebacterium bovis (45\%), coagulase negative staphylococci (CNS) (43\%) and Streptococcus uberis (6\%). Analyses showed no associations between teat characteristics and quarters not becoming infected, or between teat characteristics and bacterial pathogens in infected quarters. },
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Lopez-Benavides MG and Williamson JH and Walters JB and Hickford JGH}
}
