Abstract:The aim of the performed work was to verify the hypothesis that different milking equipments have different influence on the blood circulation in the milk gland during milking. This influence was investigated by measuring the surface temperature of the milk gland using thermography. The influence was monitored of 5 different milking units in total, out of them 2 AMS, on the teat temperature which was scanned and evaluated in the teat tip centre and on the teat base at the same time with the surface temperature of the udder, always at the instant closely preceding the cluster application and then after its removal. It was ascertained that the average temperature of the teat tip after milking was increased in comparison with the temperature before milking practically in all the milking units monitored. At the same time, the average temperature of the teat tip in the milking equipment in parlours increased by about 1.7°C-2.7°C (6.1%-9.0%) as compared to the temperature before milking. At milking in AMS, the temperature rise of the teat tip was smaller and reached only 0.9°C-1.7°C (2.9%-6.0%). At the same time, the temperature of other parts of the milk gland grew commensurately. It was also found that differences exist between different milking units with respect to their influence on the temperature fluctuation of the milk gland. From the monitoring performed up to now and from the results acquired it is possible to apprehend that the monitoring of the teat temperature before and after milking with the help of thermography can become an indicator of the working quality of the milking equipment and its influence on the milk gland. The confirmation of this hypothesis requires, however, further detailed and extensive measuring to be carried out.

In agricultural landscape, there are thousands of young wild animals killed every year. Their deaths are caused mostly by agricultural fieldworks during spring harvest. Among the affected animals there are also fawns of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), which react to danger by pressing themselves against the ground in order to be protected from predators. There were various methods tested in the past aimed at decreasing roe deer mortality caused by agriculture machinery with varied levels of success. This contribution presents technology that documents the possibility of searching for fawns with a thermal imaging device carried by an unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). The results are based on field research that estimated the ideal height of flight being ±40 meters above ground. If the climatic conditions are favourable, it is possible to monitor and mark fawn locations using GPS coordinates in an area of about 14 ha in 25 minutes, which is the average flight time of UAV on one battery charge. The thermo-camera is very reliable in finding fawns in early morning hours (4 to 6 a.m.) when there is the highest temperature contrast between the searched object and its surroundings. The main limiting factors are climatic conditions and the short time span in which the thermo-camera can be used. If the basic requirements are met, the rate of successful fawn detection can be even up to 100%. An undisputed advantage of this method is the possibility of involvement of local gamekeepers. Thus the agricultural fieldworks are not interrupted.

Abstract:Eight different mixing feeding wagons (MFW) were investigated under identical conditions in preparing total mixed rations (TMR) for three various cattle categories. Investigated were the uniformity of distribution of the feed into the trough, homogeneity of TMR distributed, the machine capacity in feed extracting from storage and loading, TMR mixing and distributing into the trough, fuel consumption and power consumption required. The least uniformity was found for TMR with a high hay proportion (average value of standard deviation 49.9%). Better results were achieved with MFW designed with horizontal mixing augers (average standard deviation 33.7%). MFW with vertical augers distributed feeds at average standard deviation of 61.3%. Standard deviation of the proportion of feed particles on the separator screens which is considered as a measure of TMR homogeneity, was bellow 20% in most cases. This suggests a hint of a very good mixing efficiency of all the MFW followed up. No influence of different designs of the working elements of MFW on TMR homogeneity has been proved. With respect to the machine capacity (output) in preparing and distributing TMR, no large differences between various MFW were found and their output averaged from all measurements varied within the range of 4.79-5.48 t/h. The least average specific consumption of fuel for preparing and distributing TMR was found in the MFW equipped with vertical mixing augers (1.10-1.11 l/t). MFW with one horizontally mounted mixing auger showed a rather higher fuel consumption (1.30-1.43 l/t). The highest fuel consumption was found with MFW equipped with two parallely mounted mixing augers (1.59-1.63 l/t).Keywords: mixing feeding wagons; cattle feeding; total mixed rations; output; fuel consumptionThe basic feeding technique in cattle and especially in milk cow keeping is the mixed feeding ration prepared of a mixture of various bulky feeds and concentrates often termed as TMR (total mixed ration). The feed ration resulting from such preparation influences favourably the feed reception by animals, their efficiency and state of health (Kudrna 2004). In the past, TMR were prepared on farm stationary mixing plants. They, however, were substituted by mixing feeding wagons (MFW) after 1990. Currently, these are the dominant equipment for TMR preparation and distribution on cattle farms. For example they account for preparing and distributing TMR to more than 80% milk cows in the Czech Republic (Vegricht et al. 2006).The quality of TMR preparation and distribution depends decisively on the quality of mixing feeding wagons and on a suitable design of their working elements while a great influence is also attributed to the correct operation of MFW. A great part of MFW is equipped with the equipment for extracting and unloading feeds stored in trough silos (rotary cutters, cutting shields or frames with active or passive knives) and their loading. Generally, it would be admitted that rottary cutters could injure the structure of the unloaded feeds and have hig...

The introduction of robotic milking into farms in the Czech Republic began in 2003. This paper gives the results on 7 farms with robotic milking machines, with regard to breed (Bohemia Spotted cattle, Holstein), company size (number of robots 1 to 8) and type of ownership (private, cooperative). All farms used Lely Astronaut A3 robots. The companies showed statistical differences in average daily milk performance (P≤0.001) from 21.04 kg of milk/head/day to 40.43 kg of milk/head/day. Small private companies with one robot reached significantly (P≤0.001) higher milk performance of 28.79 kg of milk/head/day. On average, the daily milk performances of the Holstein cattle were 7.17 kg of milk higher than those of the Bohemia Spotted cattle (29.97 kg and 22.80 kg, respectively). The average number of milkings per head and day in individual companies ranged from 1.97 to 2.67. The average number of rejections per head and day (1.11) was low in companies with one robot and is influenced by the number of cows per one robot. The highest number of cows that had to be accompanied to the robot could be seen in large cooperatives -20.1%. Bohemia Spotted cattle showed the lowest number of breeding-cows needing to be accompanied to the robot (8.8%).