Muddy areas in laneways which result in dirty teats increase the risk of mastitis because of increased numbers of bacteria near the teat end, and because mud drying on teats also dries out the teat skin causing rough, chapped skin.

After milking, it will be about an hour before most of the cows' teat orifices will have closed, so this is the highest risk period for new mastitis infections, especially environmental infections.

The sooner the cows, especially their teats, come into contact with mud after milking, the higher the risk of mastitis.

The "splashability" of the mud in these areas is also important, because although the mud may not be deep enough for cows teats to reach it, the more "splashable" mud is, the greater the risk of contaminating teats.

When areas of the lanes become very wet and muddy, cows often choose to walk in the softer muddier areas along the edge of the lane (because it is softer on their feet) - the mud in these areas can often become both deep and also highly "splashable"!!

So, although cows spend relatively little time in laneways they can be an important part of the mastitis risk on a farm.

A Dairy Focus Environmental Assessment assesses these areas and the potential mastitis risk and suggests "do-able" solutions - both temporary "quick" fixes, and also longer term strategies.

For example, the use of strategic "hot wires" to temporarily direct cow flow away from these bad areas can make a huge difference to the mastitis risk - it is a "quick and easy" fix that works well, but is generally only a temporary measure.