Table 5 Factors associated with parlour and roadway hygiene on 398 Irish dairy farms, and associations with bulk tank SCS (back transformed SCC*10³/ml in parentheses) after controlling for region

Cleanliness of the parlour

Clean

43

12.45 (255)

0.024

***

Slightly dirty

48

12.57 (288)

0.023

Dirty

9

12.60 (297)

0.054

Cleanliness of claw piece

Clean

42

12.45 (256)

0.024

***

Slightly dirty

45

12.55 (282)

0.024

Dirty

13

12.67 (317)

0.043

Condition of the liners

New

81

12.58 (269)

0.018

**

Slightly cracked

12

12.69 (291)

0.048

Cracked

7

12.47 (324)

0.062

Collecting yard cleaning frequency

After every milking

17

12.44 (253)

0.038

*

Daily

37

12.50 (267)

0.026

Weekly

15

12.57 (289)

0.041

Every second day

13

12.55 (283)

0.044

Every third day

6

12.56 (285)

0.063

Slates

6

12.58 (291)

0.063

As required and other

6

12.66 (313)

0.064

Cleanliness of yard

Clean

26

12.47 (261)

0.032

*

Slightly dirty

43

12.53 (278)

0.025

Dirty

31

12.58 (292)

0.031

Cleanliness of road

Clean

25

12.50 (269)

0.031

**

Slightly dirty

51

12.49 (265)

0.022

Dirty

24

12.62 (302)

0.038

Condition of road way

Very good

17

12.49 (265)

0.038

ns

Good

59

12.51 (272)

0.021

Poor

24

12.56 (286)

0.032