Teat spraying has the following benefits:

• Teat spraying after milking has been proven to reduce the incidence of new mastitis infections by 50%. This means less time and cost spent treating mastitis, and separating milk from infected cows.
• Minimises risk of BMSCC (bulk milk somatic cell count) grades from dairy companies, resulting from subclinical and clinical infections.
• Reduces cow discomfort and poor milking behaviour associated with the pain of damaged teats.
• Reduces teat cleaning time as dirt does not  stick as easily to a well conditioned teat.

• What is teat spraying?

  In New Zealand, teat sanitising usually refers to teat spraying or dipping, carried out immediately after cups have been removed. This can be a manual or automated process.

  Teat spraying looks simple and this probably explains why so many people get it wrong. The effectiveness of teat spraying or dipping relies on complete coverage of the teat. This task takes time and is poorly done on many New Zealand farms.

• What products should I use?

  Teat sanitising products must be approved to ensure they won’t result in undesirable milk residues. A list of approved chemicals is available on the New Zealand Food Safety website or you can contact a Milk Quality Representative from your dairy company.

• How do I do it?

  Teat spray all teats of all cows immediately after every milking, and throughout the whole lactation period. Cover the whole teat of every cow to maximise effectiveness.

  Teat spraying before cup attachment increases the risk of milk contamination and there are strict criteria associated with this practice. If you wish to do it contact a Milk Quality Representative from your dairy company and ensure you are carrying out the correct technique.

Watch the video below for teat spraying technique.

Teat Spraying

Types of teat sanitisation systems

Teat spray units come in manual and automated forms.

Manual spraying and dipping systems generally fall into one of three categories, a hand pump container, a ‘wand’ from a larger, pressurised fixed container of spray solution or teat dipping using a hand held cup to immerse the teat in the disinfection solution. For downloadable information on manual teat spraying click here.

Automated teat spraying systems include spraying teats in an exit race and spraying teats near the exit bail on a rotary platform.

• Which system is best?

  Click here for a table outlining the advantages and disadvantages of each teat sanitisation system.

  	Advantages	Disadvantages
  Hand pump	Low cost Portable	Regular refilling Prone to under-spray Breakages Poor spray from cheap plastic nozzles Heavy to hold up for long periods
  Pressurised sprayer	Quick Light to use Little refilling	More expensive Prone to under-spray
  Teat dip	Total teat coverage guaranteed Low solution usage	Slow application Regular refilling Risk of contaminated solution
  Automatic sprayer	Low labour input	Prone to under-spray Prone to missing the target area unless properly aligned High solution usage Needs to be maintained and monitored to ensure good application Disinfectant levels need checking regularly

• Actions to take

  Click here for tips on how to get the best out of your teat sanitisation system.

  • Visit other farms and see how effective their teat disinfection systems are.
  • Test the operator’s competency by wrapping a paper towel around teats just sprayed to check if disinfectant covered all surfaces.
  • Test the nozzle performance by checking the spray pattern. Spray upwards onto a sheet of paper and a solid cone of spray should be achieved.
  • Site automatic teat spray nozzles downwind of work areas.
  • Having spray units at conveniently placed locations around the dairy means time is not wasted walking to pick up the spray unit.
  • Avoid inhaling fine mists of chemical. Some people become sensitised to them.
  • New batches of teat spray should be mixed at regular intervals, ideally every 1 – 3 days. Use water of drinking quality.
  • Mix according to the label. Some products suggest different dilution rates depending on the stage of the season and the risk of mastitis.
  • Most teat sanitisers also contain an emollient to improve teat skin condition. Extra emollient may be added in spring when teats are most tender, but it is recommended not to exceed 15-20% in the final mixture.