Sustainable development of the agricultural industry, in particular, the production of milk and feed for farm animals, requires accurate, fast, and non-invasive diagnostic tools. Currently, there is a rapid development of a number of analytical methods and approaches that meet these requirements. Infrared spectrometry in the near and mid-IR range is especially widespread. Progress has been made not only in the physical methods of carrying out measurements, but significant advances have also been achieved in the development of mathematical processing of the received signals. This review is devoted to the comparison of modern methods and devices used to control the quality of milk and feed for farm animals.

The process of milking healthy cows and those with mastitis is analyzed in terms of such parameters as average onetime milk yield, milk flow rate, milking duration to assess their diff erences and the need to use alternative milking methods. (Research purpose) To study the impact of mastitis on the milk yield of cows and develop recommendations for milking diseased animals. (Materials and methods) Three groups of animals were formed according to the mastitis test results: the first group included healthy cows, the second one those with subclinical mastitis, and the third one included the cows with the clinical form of the disease. The data were collected by control milkings and the milk flow rate results were recorded every 15 seconds. (Results and discussion) The results revealed significant differences for the tree groups, both in the rate of milk flow (1.90; 0.89 and 0.49 kilograms per minute, respectively) and the duration of milking (281; 375 and 294 seconds, respectively). (Conclusions) The longest milking duration is detected in the case of subclinical mastitis, (375 seconds on average). There is a shift in the peak of the milk flow rate from the second minute of milking to the third in comparison with healthy animals. In the case of clinical mastitis, the milking duration (295 seconds) proves to be less than the subclinical one, while there is practically no peak in the rate of milk flow. It is confirmed that there is a necessity to shift the intensive milking mode by 30-45 seconds for an animal with subclinical mastitis, as well as to use a gentle milking mode for cows with clinical mastitis.

The aim of this study was to explore the possibility of assessing the health status of a cow’s udder using infrared thermography. We studied the effect of mastitis on cow milk yield, the effect of mastitis on udder surface skin temperature, and the dependence between severity of mastitis and udder temperature. We determined the presence of a significant relationship between the udder surface skin temperature and the milk yield of mastitis cows (Coefficient of determination = 0.886, linear Pearson correlation coefficient = −0.96), as well as the absence of a significant relationship between the udder surface skin temperature and the milk yield of healthy cows (Coefficient of determination = 0.029, linear Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.16). We substantiated the temperature ranges of the udder surface of healthy cows [32–35.9 °C] and mastitis [36.1–39 °C]. The obtained data made it possible to form an algorithm that allows a quick assessment of the herd for the presence of udder disease, using infrared images of the udder surface skin temperature.

Automation of milking systems is linked to accurate measurement of fluctuations in milk flow during milking. To assess the fluctuations of the milk flow, the formation and movement of milk portions in the milking machine-milk pipeline system was studied. By considering the movement of a milk plug along the milk pipeline, a hydraulic model of the formation of a critical volume of milk in the milking machine manifold was compiled. In practice, the most expedient way of determining milk flow parameters may be to measure the laser fluorescent and extinction responses of moving air-milk mixture. We have implemented a new laser sensing method for measuring the flow rate and composition of milk on the basis of counting the optical response pulses received from moving dispersed components by a CCD array or a randomized fiber optic bundle. Using the developed laser sensors, the theoretical model of milk flow was tested.

The development of dairy farming proves to require technologies for rapid and non-destructive analysis of milk quality. It is noted that optical methods do not negatively affect dairy products. It is noted that farms may get the desired technology by upgrading milking machines with a flow-through device for milk quality express analysis. (Research purpose) To study the effect of upgrading the milking machine with a flow-through device for milk quality express analysis on the flow of the milk-air mixture in the milk hose. (Materials and methods) For this purpose the SolidWorks simulation modeling was used. Both the developed device and the simulation model are made in cylindrical geometry to ensure their compatibility with the milk hoses of 14 millimeters in diameter.  The measurement took into account the angular distribution of light scattered by milk flowing inside an optically transparent cylindrical glass tube. The flow of the milk-air mixture was affected only by a change in the inner diameter of the milk tubes. (Results and discussion) It is noted that the simulation model demonstrates an increase in the flow rate of the milk-air mixture in the areas of flow transition between the milk hose and the fitting (to a smaller internal diameter), as well as between the fitting and the measuring chamber of the device (to a larger internal diameter). The mirror result is recorded at the flow outlet from the measuring chamber to the nozzle and the transition from the nozzle to the milk hose. (Conclusions) It is found that the use of the device results in a 14 percent increase in the average flow rate of 0.3-0.7 meters per second. It is determined that due to the incomplete filling of the milk hose during milking, the difference in the flow rates of the milk-air mixture before and when applying the device does not have any adverse impact on the milking machine operation. The feasibility of upgrading the milking machine with a flow-through device for milk quality express analysis is proved.