Characteristics of the sanitary quality of milk in sick cows with purulent inflammation of the uterus when using the GEA Dairy ProQ robotic milking system

Abstract

Purpose: to establish the role of reproductive pathologies in high-yielding cows in reducing the sanitary quality of milk at dairy enterprises using various milking systems.Materials and methods. The studies were carried out in high-tech dairy enterprises using GEA Dairy ProQ and Ley Astronaut robotic milking systems with cow productivity of more than 11 tons of milk per lactation. 4659 lactating cows were under observation. The selection of samples of uterine secretions, samples from the udder teats, the surface of the anogenital area, mammary gland and milk for bacteriological studies was carried out sterile, then they were sown on nutrient media.Results. The contents of the uterus with pyometra in 80% are contaminated with microorganisms: S. dysgalactiae  – 29.1%, S. aureus – 26.4%, E. coli  – 24.2%, and S. agalactiae – 20.3%. In 12% of cows, the microflora was isolated in monoculture. In samples of milk obtained from sick cows with uterine pathology using Ley Astronaut robotic milking, it showed 1.72 times lower sanitary safety, in comparison with samples obtained from clinically healthy animals and using the GEA Dairy ProQ robotic milking system.Conclusion. In samples of milk obtained from sick cows using the Ley Astronaut robotic milking system, a microbiological study found a decrease in the sanitary quality of milk, which is an obstacle in the production of cheese.