The milking process can cause damage to the teat ends. Over milking, too high a vacuum and worn liners can cause this.

The teat end is the main defence mechanism to stop bugs getting into the udder and causing mastitis.

It is particularly important to check teat ends about 4 - 6 weeks after calving as damage will start to show up then and if we can pick it up early we can fix the cause. It is obviously important to keep an eye on them all season too as things can change.

Teats in general should be soft and supple. NOT rough and cracked.

Teat end’s should be smooth like this with no ring around the opening.

The first sign of damage is when a slight raised ring appears around the opening.

Next you end up with a rough teat end like this. They can not only harbour bacteria but are also less protective.

Finally severe damage results in very rough teat ends like this.

All cows are different and some will develop damage no matter what you do. However we need to monitor numbers of cows damaged to highlight problems.

Spend time with a torch looking at teat ends after cups come off. Record on a sheet of paper the numbers of smooth, raised ring, rough and very rough teat ends.

If more than 5% of your herd have damaged teats seek help.