Vol. 10, Issue 7 (2021)

Author(s):
Sunitha Thomas, Prasad A, Alan Stephen V, Ajmi Bin Azeez, Arunima TS and Damien Johnson C

Abstract:
Milk quality is the result of a total integrated approach involving cleanliness at different phases of animal handling, processing and transport of milk and milk products. The main aspects of CMP are animal hygiene, milking hygiene, equipment hygiene and processing hygiene. Hence, an exploratory cross-sectional study was carried out to improve the level of knowledge of small holder dairy farmers on clean milk production protocol. The study also aimed to reduce the use of antibiotics in mastitis prevention by the use of cost effective teat dips. Significant difference between the treatments was analysed using SPSS software. The current study revealed that most of the dairy farmers possessed a herd size of 4-6 animals and the number of milch animals averaged between 1-3. Survey results portrayed that majority of the farmers were still reluctant to practice machine milking and relied upon the traditional hand milking for milking their animals. But method of milking was found to have no significant effect on the incidence of mastitis in the present study. Out of the different variables analysed, the cleanliness of cattle shed, washing of udder prior to milking and hygiene of milker’s hands were found to have a significant (P< 0.01) effect on udder health of animals.