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An udder is an organ formed of two or four mammary glands on the females of dairy animals and such as cattle, , and sheep. An udder is equivalent to the breast in primates and other mammals. The udder is a single mass hanging beneath the animal, consisting of pairs of mammary glands with protruding . In cattle, camels and deer, there are normally two pairs, in sheep and goats, there is one pair, and in some animals, there are many pairs. In animals with udders, the mammary glands develop on the milk line near the groin. Mammary glands that develop on the chest (such as in and elephants) are generally referred to as breasts.
Udder care and hygiene in cows is important in milking, aiding uninterrupted and untainted milk production, and preventing mastitis. Products exist to soothe the chapped skin of the udder. This helps prevent bacterial infection, and reduces irritation during milking by the cups, and so the cow is less likely to kick the cups off. It has been demonstrated that incorporating nutritional supplements into diet, including vitamin E, is an additional method of improving udder health and reducing infection.
Environmental factors can play a role in shaping the diversity and composition of these communities. The udder is completely exposed to the both indoor and outdoor environments and comes into direct contact with areas such as bedding, milking equipment, and feces. These bacteria can then seed raw milk with potential pathogens that affect safety and spoilage organisms that affect quality. For example, S. aureus is naturally found on the external teat skin. Listeria monocytogenes is commonly found in the environment and is associated with improper cleaning and sanitation. Pseudomonas are known spoilage organisms in milk and are often found in environments such as soil. While pasteurization can eliminate or reduce these bacteria, high initial bacterial loads could allow some of these to persist post-pasteurization. Effective cleaning and sanitation of the cow’s housing environment and the udder surface can help prevent contamination of raw milk. Antimicrobials can also be used to prevent bacteria growth on the udder surface, however, consideration is needed before use to prevent antimicrobial resistance.
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