Mastitis in dairy cows is a multi-causal disease. Animal husbandry is one of the important
factors influencing herd udder health. In our study, skin lesion scores and cleanness
scores are used as animal-based indicators for husbandry problems. We investigated
the impact of husbandry on the prevalence of skin lesions and the correlation
between skin lesions, cleanness and udder health in 67 herds joining the Swiss udder
health project “pro-Q”. 62.8% of all examined cows had at least one skin lesion. 13%
of all cows were seriously dirty. Housing factors, such as dimension and design of the
lying area influenced the prevalence of skin lesions significantly. Hard surface, rubber
mats, narrow dimensions of lying place, horns, as well as stanchion barns were risk
factors for skin injuries. Cleanness and udder health were well correlated, which was
not true for skin lesions and udder health. Thus, the cleanness score may be used as
an indicator for increased mastitis risk. The skin lesion score can be used as an indicator
for husbandry quality
