Microbiological and hygiene comparison of commercial compost-bedded pack dairy systems with and without organic substrate

Authors: María Florencia Caminati, María Florencia Cerioli, Juan Leandro Monge, Nicolás Gerónimo Sambuceti, Dante Javier Bueno, Melina Vanesa Moliva, José María Raviolo, and Elina Beatriz Reinoso

Ger. J. Vet. Res 2026. vol. 6, Iss. 3 pp:74-82
Doi: https://doi.org/10.51585/gjvr.2026.3.0202

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Abstract:

Compost-bedded pack (CBP) systems are increasingly used in dairy production, but bedding composition and management may affect bacterial dynamics, cow hygiene, and exposure to mastitis-associated microorganisms. This exploratory field study compared two commercial CBP systems in Córdoba, Argentina: one using peanut hulls as the organic substrate (CB-S) and one without substrate addition (CB-W). Composite bedding samples, cow-level composite milk samples, and hygiene scores from selected lactating cows were evaluated using culture-based microbiological methods and a standardized visual scoring system. Both systems harbored culturable bacteria commonly associated with bovine mastitis, including coagulase-negative staphylococci, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus spp., and Bacillus spp. Total aerobic mesophilic counts in bedding were not significantly different between systems. However, CB-W showed higher mean counts and greater variability than CB-S (8.58 ± 0.55 vs. 7.65 ± 0.11 Log10 CFU/g) and a broader range of culturable bacterial groups. Cows housed in CB-S had lower hygiene scores than cows housed in CB-W (1.05 ± 0.12 vs. 3.01 ± 0.10), indicating better cleanliness. The differences observed should be interpreted as associations with complete commercial systems, including bedding composition and management practices, rather than as the isolated effect of organic substrate addition. These findings highlight the importance of bedding management, ventilation, aeration, moisture control, and stocking density for cow hygiene and microbial stability in CBP dairy systems.

Keywords:

Bacterial counts, Compost bedding, Dairy cows, Hygiene scoring, Microbiota

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