Strip cups are essentially used to detect mastitis in raw milk (Delaval, 2014). The first stream of milk is squirted from the teat and into the strip cup (Delaval, 2014). There are approximately 3-4 squirts taken from each teat (Delaval, 2014). The cup is then inspected for any flakes, clumps or milk abnormalities (Delaval, 2014). The strip cup consists of a plastic cup that holds 1 and ½ pints and has a handle (Delaval, 2014). The cup also has a removable black anodized tray insert to allow easy cleaning of the cup (Delaval, 2014). The black screen is meant to strain small amounts of milk and avoid splashing (Delaval, 2014). The snap-in, snap-out feature of the strip screen helps to ensure that there is no contact with infected milk (Delaval, 2014).
Product Information
Strip Cup Description
Mastitis is the inflammation of the mammary gland in a cow udder which in turn causes white blood cells to be released in order to attack bacteria that enters the teat canal (Sudhan et al, 2010). Milk from cows with mastitis has a high somatic cell count and the disease can be fatal to the cow (Sudhan et al, 2010). This disease can be identified by swelling, heat, redness or pain in the udder and white watery appearance, as well as flakes or clots in the milk (Sudhan et al, 2010). This is the most common disease in dairy cattle in Canada and costs the industry the most money of any disease (Riekerink et al, 2008). Mastitis is ranked as the second most common reason for culling cows in Canada and can cost $320 to $830 a year in Canadian dollars (Delaval, 2014).
The hands of a person milking can become contaminated during milking by spreading pathogens from a cow’s udder to milking equipment (Sudhan et al, 2010). Most dairy farms will have the workers wear latex gloves to avoid high levels of contamination (Sudhan et al, 2010). The teats are prepared by using a solution that thoroughly cleans any dirt and bacteria off of the teats and udder (Sudhan et al, 2010). Dairy farms will commonly use a 1% iodine solution called a pre-dip to clean the udder and teats (Sudhan et al, 2010). Then, a dry towel is used to wipe the iodine dip and dirt off of the cow’s teats (Sudhan et al, 2010). The use of individual towels for each cow is recommended to avoid the spread of pathogens from cow to cow (Sudhan et al, 2010). During the foremilk stripping, several squirts of milk are removed from each milk quarter (Sudhan et al, 2010). This step is done using a strip cup where a black cup will show any abnormalities, clots or flakes (Sudhan et al, 2010). This is the most common way of discovering clinical mastitis (Sudhan et al, 2010). After this step, the milking machine is attached to the cow’s udder (Sudhan et al, 2010). Once the flow of milk slows down, the milking machine is removed from the udder and the cow is dipped with another solution (Sudhan et al, 2010). This is commonly a 2% iodine solution that is called a post-dip (Sudhan et al, 2010). A cow’s teat canal stays open for an hour after suction from a milker (Sudhan et al, 2010). The post-dip helps to prevent any pathogens or bacteria to enter the teat canal and avoid the start of mastitis (Sudhan et al, 2010).
Benefits of Using a Strip Cup
Mastitis is an issue in the worldwide dairy industry: it is costly due to a direct loss of production, the expense of reducing mastitis levels, and it has negative implications on milk quality (FAO, 2014). A study conducted in the United States of America showed that there is a $185 to $200 loss per cow with mastitis per year (FAO, 2014). The severity of the effects of mastitis on milk production depends on the causal agents, the stage of lactation, age of cow and the udder defence mechanisms (FAO, 2014). The first step in controlling mastitis is to determine the incidence of clinical and sub-clinical mastitis and assess the bacterial aspects of the disease (FAO, 2014). The economic losses caused by mastitis depends on when the disease is discovered and what treatment methods are used (FAO, 2014). One method to identify the presence of mastitis in a cow is the use of stripping before milking (FAO, 2014).
Definition of Mastitis and Process of Milking with a Strip Cup
