Authors : Servet Bademkiran , Romedi Celik , Simten Yesilmen , Berna E. Kanay and Mehmet Kilinc
Abstract: In this study, the effects of self-sucking, which is a behavioural defect in dairy cows, on milk product, udder health and on the shape of the udder were examined. In the research, totally 17 cows that self-sucked were used: one of them was a holstein hybrid cow and 16 were Home Breed South-Anatolian Red cows. With respect to the complaints from the owners of the ill cows, these diseases were determined and the data related to the size of the udders and the milk product occuring in 10 days, as well as whether or not there was an injury and mastitis on udder were observed. As a result of the study, it was determined that most of the self-sucking cows (85.71%) sucked particularly just two front teats and very few of them (14.28%) sucked all the four teats. Besides, it was observed that the cows sucking all their teats sucked almost 65% of the daily milk and during this period, mastitis was occurred in 28.57% of these cows. Also, it was determined that, in some of the cows which were sucking only the front teat for a long time, there were size differences up to 0.9 cm between the front and the rear teats. As a result, because of the fact that the act of self-sucking in dairy cows spoils the apperarence of herd, causes injury on udder, mastitis causes the loss of daily milk on a large scale, it was agreed that that this causes serious problems.
Servet Bademkiran , Romedi Celik , Simten Yesilmen , Berna E. Kanay and Mehmet Kilinc , 2007. The Effects of Self-Sucking on Daily Milk Product, Udder Health and the Form of the Teats of Dairy Cows . Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 6: 1250-1254.