Effects of Tail Shaving on Milk Quality and Udder Cleanliness in a Dairy Farm

The objective of this study was to assess effects of tail shaving on milk quality and udder cleanliness in a dairy farm. About 216 Holstein dairy cows equally divided to tail shaved: S and intact: C group. After 30 days, quarter milk lactose concentration, SCC, CMT, udder cleanliness and teat end scores were recorded. Tail shaved cows were cleaner (p = 0.047) than C group for the udder cleanliness score. The teat end scores for the S group were significantly lower (p = 0.001) than C group. Total CMT score significantly (p = 0.01) declined in S group compared with C group while SCC did not show significant difference (p = 0.940) between S and C groups. Milk lactose concentration was significantly higher (p = 0.01) in S group than that in C group. Results suggest that tail shaving can improve udder hygiene indices and can be considered routinely during lactation period. However, its long-term effects need to be investigated.