FutureCow® Internal Field Evaluation – Q1 2025

Background

In early 2025, FutureCow® partnered with a 2,200-cow freestall dairy in the Upper Midwest to conduct an internal evaluation of chlorine dioxide-based teat disinfection in the parlor. The goal of this study was to assess disinfection efficacy, speed of microbial kill, and overall teat condition when using chlorine dioxide in a controlled, real-world environment — comparing it side-by-side with iodine-based and lactic acid-based pre-dip systems.

While the evaluation was internal and not published, the goal was to simulate on-farm conditions as accurately as possible to gather meaningful insight for our technical and sales teams.

Methodology

A single 60-stall rotary parlor with consistent milking crews and standard milking protocols was used throughout the evaluation period.

  • Treatment Groups:
    Cows were randomly assigned to one of three pre-dip groups:
    • Group A: Chlorine dioxide (CD) solution via FutureCow® teat scrubber system
    • Group B: Traditional 1% iodine dip
    • Group C: Lactic acid-based pre-dip
  • Duration:
    Each treatment ran for 21 consecutive days, followed by a 7-day washout period before rotating.
  • Measured Outcomes:
    • Teat end cleanliness post-prep
    • Dip contact time prior to wiping or drying
    • Visual skin condition
    • Coliform and environmental bacteria counts (before and after prep)
    • Crew preference and workflow impact

Bacterial counts were collected via swabbing teats pre- and post-prep, incubated on-farm using a compact culturing unit for CFU estimation, and reviewed at 24 hours.

Observations & Results

1. Speed of Kill

Chlorine dioxide consistently achieved the lowest post-prep CFU counts after only 15–20 seconds of contact time, outperforming iodine and lactic acid solutions — both of which required 30 seconds or more for comparable kill rates.

  • Average reduction in coliform counts (log scale):
    • Chlorine Dioxide: 3.2 log reduction
    • Iodine Dip: 2.5 log reduction
    • Lactic Acid Dip: 2.3 log reduction

Crews noted that visible “clean” teat skin was achieved faster with chlorine dioxide, especially when used through the FutureCow® scrubber system, allowing for consistent stimulation and coverage.

2. Skin Condition & Cow Comfort

No cases of irritation, dryness, or hyperkeratosis were noted in any group. However, cows in the chlorine dioxide group consistently presented with teats that appeared moisturized and less discolored (iodine often left a brown hue that made teat end assessment more difficult).

Crew also reported less resistance and flinching during prep with the chlorine dioxide group — a likely reflection of both solution pH balance and consistent stimulation from the scrubber brush.

3. Workflow Efficiency

Because of the rapid kill time and consistent application via the scrubber system, operators could maintain or slightly improve throughput without compromising hygiene.

  • Average prep time per cow:
    • Chlorine Dioxide + Scrubber: 9.2 seconds
    • Iodine Dip + Manual Wipe: 12.8 seconds
    • Lactic Acid Dip + Manual Wipe: 12.5 seconds

This small time saving, multiplied across a 3x/day schedule, resulted in an estimated gain of 47 minutes per shift on this 2,200-cow dairy.

Final Conclusion

Chlorine dioxide, especially when delivered via a scrubber system, offers a clear performance advantage in speed of kill, cow comfort, and overall workflow efficiency. While traditional iodine and lactic acid dips remain common in the industry, they typically require longer contact times and are more susceptible to uneven application.

In our internal field evaluation, chlorine dioxide consistently outperformed other products in both bacterial reduction and cow-side user experience, without any negative impacts to teat condition. This positions chlorine dioxide not only as a highly effective pre-dip option, but also as a valuable tool in parlor optimization and cow comfort management.