Abstract:
The objective of the study was to investigate the influence of dairy cow management
techniques and milking methods on hygienic quality of raw milk. Total Bacterial Count
(TBC) and Total Coliform Colonies (TCC) were studied to determine the effects.
Investigations were carried out in fifty dairy farms from August 2007 to December 2007. The
mean TBC and TCC for the herds with comparatively good and poor management practices
were 0.9 x 10(5) cfu/ml and 0.2 x 10(3)/ml and 99 x 10(5) cfu/ml and >180 x 10(3)/ml,
respectively. The overall mean TBC (22 x 10(5) cfu/ml) and TCC (47 x 10(3)/ml) obtained in
this study exceeded the internationally recommended levels for TBC (10(5) cfu/ml) and TCC
(<1,000/ml). The overall results obtained suggested that the raw milk tested was of poor
hygienic quality with the presence of a great variability among milk samples
