Authors: F. Neijenhuis, J. Eric Hillerton
Switching from a milking parlour to an automated milking (AM) system may affect the milking performance of the cows, the teat tissues and quality of the milk. Cows are milked voluntarily within an automatic milking system and therefore the milking interval will change from fixed to less even intervals and preferable increase in frequency.
In AM systems pre-milking stimuli should be sufficient for milk ejection. Optimising milking conditions can control milk flow rate and truly separate quarter milking will ensure prompt teat cup removal at the end of milk flow from any one teat. These conditions will minimise any potential for over milking, the factor most likely to impair teat condition. Control of milking conditions in a low-level system, all AM systems are effectively low-level, will also contribute to minimising any machine-milking induced deterioration in teat condition. Cows milked in an AM system will be kept in a more uniform environment, there should be less variation in milking conditions and usually in living space, and control of that environment can be expected to improve husbandry and aid teat management. It may be necessary to improve the spraying, the usual means application, of teat disinfection.
Effective use of existing commercial AM systems should normally mean that milking intervals will not become too short and that milking frequency and interval can be managed to avoid chronic effects on teats. However, the optimum management conditions for the AM systems, the milking conditions or type of liner that should be used are not yet known. Appropriate tools are available to allow the impact of these and any other variables introduced into AM systems to be assessed for their effects on teat condition in the short and longer-term. Priorities for study include these problems and ensuring that the transition from conventional to automated milking does not impair teat condition.
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© Animal Sciences Group -
Wageningen UR. Last update:
20-02-2008 10:03. |
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