Dairy Well: hygiene scoring

Which animals to assess:

• Lactating cows
• Dry cows
• Heifers
• All calves on milk
  • Sample across all represented ages
• Hospital pen (lactating and young stock)

The number of animals scored per group will be determined with the sample size calculator.

When to assess:

• Assess lactating cows while walking to the milking parlor or before or after milking
• In home pen

How to assess:

Assess the areas of the body that contact the lying area divided into two areas: belly (including udder on mature animals) and thigh, both outlined in gray below. The tail head, top-line, and lower legs are not evaluated. If both sides of the animal are visible, score the worst side.

Goal:

To assess the cleanliness and dryness of the resting area.

≤25% of each group should score a 3.

Score 1

• Manure or mud (may be dried) in either of the 2 focal areas is less than 10" (adults, heifers) or 5" (calves) in diameter

Score 2

• An area of manure or mud (may be dried) > 10" (adults, heifers) or 5" (calves) in diameter in 1 of the 2 focal areas

Score 3

• Area of manure or mud (may be dried) > 10" (adults, heifers) or 5" (calves) in diameter in 2 of the 2 focal areas

Take Repeatability Test

National Dairy FARM Program: hygiene scoring

Which animals to assess:

Score all age classes of animals in all pens; the number to score in each class is determined by the sample size calculator using the total number of animals on the farm.

Goal:

To assess the cleanliness of the udder.

<10% of the herd should score a 3 or 4.

Score 1

• Clean

Score 2

• Clean belly and udder area
• Manure splatters on lower leg

Score 3

• Significant manure splatters on upper leg, udder and belly area

Score 4

• Manure splatters on udder/belly area and toward top of cow (alley cow)