Hyperkeratosis can be caused by improper milking equipment performance, or improper milking procedures, however, during the winter and spring, hyperkeratosis and teat skin cracking is typically brought on by drastic temperature shifts that occur during this time of the year.

According to a paper by Leo Timms, Iowa State University, presented at the 2004 NMC Meeting, temperatures do not have to reach freezing to see teat-end cracking.  Timms, who has done extensive research on winter conditions and teat health goes on to say that cracking seems to be related to the degree of change (warm to cold; cold to warm) as well as raw temperature, and can occur at much higher temperatures and very high frequencies.  He adds that many teats will self-cure after the teat acclimates to conditions, but that other stressors such as the milking machine, nutrition, and the environment can accentuate the problem once cracking occurs.

Temperatures in many areas can fluctuate greatly, not allowing cows to acclimate to conditions, and the skin’s natural reaction is to crack and begin forming the early stages of hyperkeratosis.  Therefore, after a harsh winter, many dairy producers find their cows’ teat-ends to be rough and cracked with a great deal of hyperkeratosis.  The task for spring is to then condition the teat-ends and bring back the teat health that is needed to prevent mastitis.

This photo shows teats that are just beginning to show the signs of hyperkeratosis due to harsh/changing weather conditions.	This photo shows a more progressed case of hyperkeratosis that has developed due to harsh/changing weather conditions.	This photos show teats that are beginning to soften and heal from hyperkeratosis due to harsh/changing weather conditions.	This is another photo that shows the beginning stages of teats starting to soften and heal from hyperkeratosis due to harsh/changing weather conditions.

Recently, some have claimed that the teat dip chosen to be used can affect the softening and “sloughing-off” of the excess keratin that builds up because of hyperkeratosis.  Field experience has shown that chlorine dioxide dips, in comparison to other types of dips, seem to be very effective in softening the keratin on the teat-ends, allowing for the old keratin to be removed more easily.  Once the dip has helped the skin to softened, milking operators must remember to make that aggressive, physical pass along the end of the teat to help remove the excess skin built-up on the teat, as well as to properly clean the teat-end. Hyperkeratosis can harbor soil and bacteria that cause mastitis, and make properly cleaning the teat-end difficult.  It is common to see higher cases of clinicals due to environmental organisms in the winter and spring, as the rough teat-ends make it difficult for the operator to get teats as clean as they should be.

Included in this class of chlorine dioxide dips are WestfaliaSurge’s Bi-Sept® and InterSept™  products. If a dairy is struggling with poor teat-ends induced by the changing weather conditions, InterSept and/or Bi-Sept are ideal transitional dips during the transitional springtime weather.  The improved teat condition found with InterSept and Bi-Sept keeps many dairies on these products through the spring and for a long time to come!

See your WestfaliaSurge dealer for more information on InterSept & Bi-Sept teat dip products, and click on the testimonials file above to read what customers are saying about these two great dips.

Article Resources: L. Timms, Iowa State University, Winter Conditions and Teat Health: Why and What To Do, NMC Annual Meeting Proceedings, 2004; A. Johnson, We Can Avoid Bad Teat-ends, Hoard's Dairyman, May 10, 2003; A. Johnson and D. Reid, Troubleshooting Herds With Poor Teat Condition, NMC Annual Meeting Proceedings, 2003.