Is teat sealant worth it ?

Do you use teat sealant because.....


  • Total voters
    74

jerseycowsman

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
cornwall
I don’t use sealant to prevent milk leaking, I use it to prevent infections getting in. I’ve never seen milk leaking as a failure on the part of the sealant more of a management failure.
I know why we use it and how to use it, still get leakage, don’t be so condescending, it isn’t helpful
 

jerseycowsman

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
cornwall
Will beat me to it.
The idea is to stop infection getting in.
Sealant has worked very well here. Need to follow the rules carefully. Gloves on, wipe with 2 antibac wipes. Tube in, finish with teat dip.
Vet reports variable results on other farms, suspects lack of care
I know why we use it and how to use it, still get leakage. Don’t be so condescending, it isn’t helpful
 

frederick

Member
Location
south west
What is it a sign of?
It's a sign of milk leaking out the udder. It's a sign of positive pressure in the udder and therefore the teat sealed against things coming in.

However your completely free to not use it. And if the last 3 weeks of your dry cow management is perfect and clean you will notice no difference.

There will also be cows who don't need it. But in breeding for milking speed we have reduced the effect of the natural plug.
 

jerseycowsman

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
cornwall
It's a sign of milk leaking out the udder. It's a sign of positive pressure in the udder and therefore the teat sealed against things coming in.

However your completely free to not use it. And if the last 3 weeks of your dry cow management is perfect and clean you will notice no difference.

There will also be cows who don't need it. But in breeding for milking speed we have reduced the effect of the natural plug.
So, how can milk get out, but nothing can go the other way?? That doesn’t sound like science to me, sounds like witchcraft!
 

MrA.G.

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Northern Ireland
Sounds like a non return valve to me

I get leakage I don’t worry about it, don’t be so touchy.
To be fair to @jerseycowsman , he has asked reasonable questions.

With out knowing the full science it would be fair to assume that milk leakage would suggest that that the sealant hasn’t actually sealed a plug even if the intended purpose is to prevent inward infections 3 weeks prior to calving rather than milk leak immediately after drying off.

Is there any research which shows leakage is irrelevant to effective sealing? Surely the positive pressure you mention @frederick with the sealant acting as a one way valve rather than being forced out the teat end is optimistic
 
Last edited:

jerseycowsman

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
cornwall
To be fair to @jerseycowsman , he has asked reasonable questions.

With out knowing the full science it would be fair to assume that milk leakage would suggest that that the sealant hasn’t actually sealed a plug even if the intended purpose is to prevent inward infections 3 weeks prior to calving rather than milk leak immediately after drying off.

Is there any research which shows leakage is irrelevant to effective sealing? Surely the positive pressure you mention @frederick with the sealant acting as a one way valve rather than being forced out the teat end is optimistic
Yes, a non return valve is a mechanical object, teat sealant is not a mechanical object.
 
I am surprised by what i've read on here. But I accept that we all have different experiences and after all, different cows.

I have always been satisfied that sealing works for me, just never see leakage. I also notice plenty of sealant when I strip cows after calving, sometimes quite difficult to get it out. I have to think this is doing some good in preventing mastitis. Of course I do get the odd 1/4 which doesn't seem to have any sealant and this does leave me wondering where the chuff its gone but we do are best don't we and I accept nothing of this nature is 100%.
I can well imagine if I was seeing leaking that would annoy me and I would definitely wonder how effective sealing was so can understand concerns from some on here.
 

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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