Authors: Y. van der Vorst, K. Knappstein, M.D. Rasmussen
As part of work package 4 within the European project �Implications of the
Introduction of Automatic Milking on Dairy Farms� recent milk quality data
from farms with an automatic milking system (AM- system) were analysed for
four consecutive groups (based on date of installation) and compared to data
from conventional farms.
Data of 99 Danish farms, 33 German and 262 Dutch farms were included and
analysed for possible relations and courses in the milk quality from January
1997 until January 2001. Data of Dutch farms that milked twice (n=295) or
three times a day (n=40) in conventional milking parlours during the same
period, were used as controls.
Milk quality was slightly lower when milking with an automatic milking system,
in all three countries. The poorest levels of all measured parameters were
found in the first six months after introduction of the AM-system. After this
period the milk quality improved slightly and all farms then produced to a
stable level (with exception of free fatty acids (FFA)). However, other than
bulk milk somatic cell count (BMSCC), the quality from farms with an AM-system
remained slightly lower than from conventional farms. Differences between
farms were seen both in averages and in variance. This, together with the
knowledge that the milk quality improves about 6 months after introduction
indicates that improvements are possible.
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© Animal Sciences Group -
Wageningen UR. Last update:
20-02-2008 10:03. |
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