{"title":"Teat and udder morphology and pathology of New Zealand dairy ewes.","authors":"G Chambers, K E Lawrence, A L Ridler, R A Laven","doi":"10.1080/00480169.2025.2456240","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aims: </strong>To describe the morphology and prevalence of teat and udder pathology of New Zealand dairy ewes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A repeated cross-sectional study was conducted on 20 commercial New Zealand dairy sheep farms over the 2022-2023 season. Approximately 15 randomly selected ewes were examined on each farm in early, mid, and late lactation. Four udder morphology measures were scored on a 5-point scale: depth (1 = pendulous, 5 = compact udder), suspension (ratio of width at abdominal attachment to height, 1 = low, 5 = high), gland separation (1 = zero, 5 = maximum separation), and teat placement (1 = distally located, vertically oriented, 5 = laterally located, horizontally oriented teats). Teat length and width were measured, and the presence of supernumerary teats, asymmetry, visible teat/udder inflammation, and lesions were recorded. Teats and glands were palpated for consistency, gland-nodules, teat canal thickening, and patency, and teat ends scored for hyperkeratosis. Teat and gland-level pathological variables were converted to ewe-level scores. The presence of involuted, non- or minimally lactating glands was recorded. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Across the three visits, 893 observations were made on 882 unique ewes. Mean teat length and width were 27.5 (95% CI = 27.2-27.7) and 15.8 (95% CI = 15.7-15.9) mm. Udder depth, separation, suspension, and teat placement had modal scores of 4, 3, 3, and 3 respectively, and varied across visits and age groups. Asymmetrical udder prevalence was 39% (95% CI = 35.5-42%) overall and increased with age (27% for 1-year-olds, 38% for two-year-olds, 43% for mixed age ewes). Supernumerary teats were observed in 15% (95% CI = 13-17.9%) of ewes. There was between-farm variation in all udder morphology variables. Ewe-level prevalences of teat end hyperkeratosis (any degree of severity), gland/teat inflammation, lesions, palpable defects, and involuted glands were all < 6%.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Morphological observations resembled those from overseas dairy sheep. Teat dimensions, udder depth, separation, suspension, teat placement, and presence of supernumerary teats varied between farms. Udder depth, separation, and suspension scores decreased with age, while teat placement score and the prevalence of asymmetry increased with age. Teat and udder pathology were rare.</p><p><strong>Clinical relevance: </strong>This is the first systematic study of teat and udder morphology and pathology in New Zealand dairy ewes. The data will be useful for farmers and industry partners, providing a comparison with their own flocks, identifying areas for improvement, and informing and contrasting with future studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":19322,"journal":{"name":"New Zealand veterinary journal","volume":" ","pages":"246-259"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1000,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"New Zealand veterinary journal","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00480169.2025.2456240","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/2/12 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"VETERINARY SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Aims: To describe the morphology and prevalence of teat and udder pathology of New Zealand dairy ewes.
Methods: A repeated cross-sectional study was conducted on 20 commercial New Zealand dairy sheep farms over the 2022-2023 season. Approximately 15 randomly selected ewes were examined on each farm in early, mid, and late lactation. Four udder morphology measures were scored on a 5-point scale: depth (1 = pendulous, 5 = compact udder), suspension (ratio of width at abdominal attachment to height, 1 = low, 5 = high), gland separation (1 = zero, 5 = maximum separation), and teat placement (1 = distally located, vertically oriented, 5 = laterally located, horizontally oriented teats). Teat length and width were measured, and the presence of supernumerary teats, asymmetry, visible teat/udder inflammation, and lesions were recorded. Teats and glands were palpated for consistency, gland-nodules, teat canal thickening, and patency, and teat ends scored for hyperkeratosis. Teat and gland-level pathological variables were converted to ewe-level scores. The presence of involuted, non- or minimally lactating glands was recorded. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics.
Results: Across the three visits, 893 observations were made on 882 unique ewes. Mean teat length and width were 27.5 (95% CI = 27.2-27.7) and 15.8 (95% CI = 15.7-15.9) mm. Udder depth, separation, suspension, and teat placement had modal scores of 4, 3, 3, and 3 respectively, and varied across visits and age groups. Asymmetrical udder prevalence was 39% (95% CI = 35.5-42%) overall and increased with age (27% for 1-year-olds, 38% for two-year-olds, 43% for mixed age ewes). Supernumerary teats were observed in 15% (95% CI = 13-17.9%) of ewes. There was between-farm variation in all udder morphology variables. Ewe-level prevalences of teat end hyperkeratosis (any degree of severity), gland/teat inflammation, lesions, palpable defects, and involuted glands were all < 6%.
Conclusions: Morphological observations resembled those from overseas dairy sheep. Teat dimensions, udder depth, separation, suspension, teat placement, and presence of supernumerary teats varied between farms. Udder depth, separation, and suspension scores decreased with age, while teat placement score and the prevalence of asymmetry increased with age. Teat and udder pathology were rare.
Clinical relevance: This is the first systematic study of teat and udder morphology and pathology in New Zealand dairy ewes. The data will be useful for farmers and industry partners, providing a comparison with their own flocks, identifying areas for improvement, and informing and contrasting with future studies.
目的:描述新西兰奶羊的形态和乳房病理的患病率。方法:在2022-2023年期间,对20个新西兰商业奶羊农场进行了重复横断面研究。在每个农场随机选择大约15只母羊,分别在泌乳早期、中期和后期进行检查。四项乳房形态测量以5分制评分:深度(1 =下垂,5 =紧致乳房),悬浮(腹部附着宽度与高度之比,1 =低,5 =高),腺体分离(1 =零,5 =最大分离)和乳头放置(1 =位于远端,垂直定向,5 =位于侧侧,水平定向乳头)。测量乳头长度和宽度,记录多余乳头、不对称、可见乳头/乳房炎症和病变的存在。触诊乳头和腺体,检查其粘稠度、腺体结节、乳头管增厚和通畅程度,并对乳头角化过度进行评分。乳头和腺体水平的病理变量转换为双级评分。记录了内陷、无泌乳腺或最低泌乳腺的存在。数据分析采用描述性统计。结果:在三次访问中,对882只独特的母羊进行了893次观察。平均乳头长度和宽度分别为27.5 mm (95% CI = 27.2-27.7)和15.8 mm (95% CI = 15.7-15.9)。乳房深度、分离、悬浮和乳头放置的模态评分分别为4、3、3和3,在不同的就诊和年龄组中有所不同。总体而言,乳房不对称患病率为39% (95% CI = 35.5-42%),并随着年龄的增长而增加(1岁为27%,2岁为38%,混合龄母羊为43%)。15% (95% CI = 13-17.9%)的母羊出现多胎。所有乳腺形态变量在农场间均存在差异。母羊水平的乳端角化过度(任何严重程度)、腺体/乳炎症、病变、可触及的缺陷和腺体纠缠的患病率均为阳性。乳头尺寸、乳房深度、分离、悬浮、乳头放置和多余乳头的存在在不同的养殖场有所不同。乳房深度、分离度和悬浮度评分随着年龄的增长而下降,而乳房放置度评分和不对称的患病率随着年龄的增长而增加。乳头及乳房病变少见。临床相关性:这是新西兰奶羊的乳头和乳房形态和病理的第一个系统研究。这些数据将对农民和行业合作伙伴有用,可以与他们自己的畜群进行比较,确定需要改进的领域,并为未来的研究提供信息和对比。
期刊介绍:
The New Zealand Veterinary Journal (NZVJ) is an international journal publishing high quality peer-reviewed articles covering all aspects of veterinary science, including clinical practice, animal welfare and animal health.
The NZVJ publishes original research findings, clinical communications (including novel case reports and case series), rapid communications, correspondence and review articles, originating from New Zealand and internationally.
Topics should be relevant to, but not limited to, New Zealand veterinary and animal science communities, and include the disciplines of infectious disease, medicine, surgery and the health, management and welfare of production and companion animals, horses and New Zealand wildlife.
All submissions are expected to meet the highest ethical and welfare standards, as detailed in the Journal’s instructions for authors.