Q. What is the Teat Condition Portfolio?
The Teat Condition Portfolio is a “cowside” tool available to all National Mastitis Council (NMC) members that provides quicker assessment of environmental, infectious and milking machine-induced teat conditions by being able to compare conditions cowside. Faster assessment will lead to earlier application of the appropriate action or future preventive measures, thus allowing dairy producers to increase profitability.
Q. Why was it developed?
Previously, NMC had Teat Condition Portfolio (TCP), developed by the Teat Club International in the 1990s, which was a valuable resource when developed at the time, but it was only available on CD which made using it cowside tough and making updates to it hard. With today’s technology, it was definitely time to update this resource and make it available cowside. Having the TCP available online to NMC members is a huge asset to all those working with teat health. It is easily searchable by key word, the TCP allows members to go immediately to the teat symptoms that match what they are seeing. Or, members can merely click through a variety of images until they find a scenario that matches the teat ailment they are viewing in real time, cowside.
Q. Who should use it?
It can be used by all that work with teat health conditions. So this would include veterinarians, udder health specialists, dairy producers, dairy herds people, milking machine dealers, industry milk quality and more.
Q. Is the TCP only available to NMC members?
Yes – it is a free member benefit to all NMC members.
Q. How can users access it?
It is on the NMC website under resources and available with a simple sign in on any device that has internet.
Q. Is there a cost?
Free with NMC Membership.
Q. What are some unique features?
Has pictures of teat conditions in all major categories and is searchable by key word or picture. Any NMC member can also submit a picture for review.
Q. How does it work?
It is an online application that has a searchable database of teat conditions and also resource papers from teat health research.
Q. What feedback have you received from users?
Excellent feedback and members are very happy that is able to be used cowside.
Info- National Mastitis Council
Text – JoDee Saddler
