Discover expert tips on udder care to maintain top udder health

The ultimate guide to udder health

Udder health: the key to a thriving dairy farm

A healthy udder is the heart of a productive dairy farm. When your cows' udders are in top shape, you'll enjoy better milk yield, improved milk quality and fewer health complications. Let's walk you through everything you need to know about udder health, from prevention to aftercare and how to keep things running smoothly in the barn.

What makes udder health so important?

Your cows' udders are more than just a milk-producing machine—they’re highly sensitive and need the right care. Poor udder health leads to decreased milk production and potential health issues, like mastitis. But don’t worry, with the right hygiene and care practices, you can ensure your cows' udders are healthy and happy.

Why focus on udeer care:

Fewer health issues: Proper care helps avoid mastitis, infections, and other common problems.
Higher milk yield: Healthy udders give you more milk—simple as that.
Better milk quality: Clean udders mean less contamination in the milking process and therefore higher quality milk.
Cost savings – Treating mastitis comes with expenses such as veterinary fees and medication. Save costs through prevention.

Symptoms of bad udder health

For dairy farmers, a healthy udder isn’t just about milk production—it’s about the well-being of your cows and the sustainability of your farm. When udder health declines, it can lead to discomfort for your animals, reduced milk quality, and even financial losses. That’s why early detection of issues is crucial.

Next to the symptoms, the consistency and colour of the milk can be an indicator for bad udder health. Lumps or Firbosis or a increased cell count may be further symtoms.

General discomfort
Sensitivity and pain
Swollen and warm udder
Teat abnormalities

A clean start

Before you even start milking, it's crucial to prep the udder properly. Hygiene plays a big role in udder health. The friction of the paper or cloth also stimulates the release of oxytocin, which promotes milk production.

Lavettes: alcohol wipes that work wonders

Moist alcohol wipes ensure quick and effective udder hygiene before milking, insemination or drying off. They are inexpensive and easy to use. Check out MS Lavettes

Udder paper: absorbing paper on a roll

Dry paper towels are essential to wipe down the udder before milking. You can choose between 2-ply and 3-ply paper. Check out udder paper

Cotton udder towels: a sustainable option

Cotton towels are washable and absorbent, making them environmentally friendly. They are durable, reusable and reduce waste. Just be sure to wash and dry them properly or they may actually cause cross-contamination.Check out udder cloth

Aftercare: keeping your cow’s udders in top condition

Proper aftercare is just as important as the pre-treatment. A good dip can keep your cows' udders clean, moisturized, and protected from bacteria.

MS UdderCare Brown: dip or spray

This film-forming dip, made with jodized iodine, is great for disinfecting while providing skin care through glycerine. Suitable for both robotic milking and milking parlor. MS Uddercare Brown

MS UdderCare Magenta: dip or spray

For a broad-spectrum, effective dip to disinfect, condition the skin and keep the teat muscle flexible. Thin composition allows for quick penetration into the skin. Suitable for both robotic milking and milking parlor. MS UdderCare Magenta

MS UdderCare Block: dip

This thick, iodine-based, quick-drying dip creates a strong protective layer on the teats, ideal for keeping pesky bacteria out. Suitable for milking parlors only. MS Uddercare Block

MS UdderCare Sepia: dip

For those looking for extra strength, Sepia’s higher concentration of PVP iodine makes it perfect for thick, long-lasting protection. Creates a highly visible film layer. Suitable for milking parlors only. MS Uddercare Sepia

Keeping the stable clean: hygiene is key

Maintaining proper hygiene in the stall is just as important for udder health as treating the teats. The environment where your cows rest needs to be dry, clean and free from harmful bacteria.

MS DryCare Des: the hygiene powder you can count on

This highly absorbent hygiene powder fights bacteria and fungi with its fast-acting disinfectant properties. It is quick and effective; high moisture absorption for cleaner stables. Follow the recommended amount to control costs.MS DryCare Des

MS Unical Deta: desinfecting lime with added power

This regular lime, combined with a disinfectant, is great for general use around the barn. It's particularly effective against a range of disease-causing organisms but it does have lower moisture absorption.MS Uni-Cal DETA

Drying off? Protect the udder with Eimü Dry

When it's time for your cow to dry off, Eimü Dry is your go-to. This alcohol-based barrier dip forms a thick protective film, ensuring no bacteria gets in. It's perfect for use in the beginning and end of the dry-off and just before calving. It offers long-lasting protection, high disinfectant power, and has a pleasant fragrance.

View Eimü Dry udder dip

6 steps to improve udder health

Pre-treatment

Use alcohol wipes, paper towels, or cotton cloths to clean the udder before milking to clean and disinfect the teat. Check out assortment

Milking

Using clean equipment, following a calm and consistent milking routine, and properly attaching and removing the milking cluster help reduce the risk of infections such as mastitis.

Aftercare

Apply a suitable dip (e.g., UdderCare Brown, Magenta, or Block) for protection of theat and udder after milking. This insures that no bacteria enter the udder after milking. Use a barrier dip like Eimu Dry to protect the udder when cows are drying off.Check out assortment

Dry and clean stable

Use hygiene powders like MS DryCare Des and MS Unical Deta to maintain cleanliness. They do absorb wetness and ensure a low-bacteria envornoment. Check out assortment

Improve immunity of your cows

Improve the overall immnunity of your cows with MS KetoProtect together with the MS High Performance Box. This nutrient dense product supplies energy and support immunity and tissue renewal. Therefore, cows are better protected against infections and udder diseases. MS KetoProtect Prestige

Create a good routine

Ready to elevate your udder health? The right products, when used properly, make all the difference. Stay consistent and invest in quality products. Get advice from our expert!