The concentration (<I>c</I>) of free fatty acids (FFAs) in milk is an indicator of dairy cow nutrition, milk straining, its bacterial contamination and storage quality. High FFA concentrations (<I>cs</I>) caused by lipolysis can damage the quality properties of milk products. Therefore the FFA content is introduced thanks to an increase in the efficiency of modern analytical methods as a milk quality indicator and as an indicator for its price as well. The goal of this paper was to analyse the FFA relations to the other milk quality indicators. The data set (<I>n</I> = 11 586) was evaluated by regression methods. In November and December the respective FFA means were 0.614 ± 0.458 and 0.835 ± 0.491 mmol/100 g with a relatively high variability of 74.6 and 58.8%. The frequency of unsatisfactory FFA values (> 1.3) was 7.51 and 13.93%. Casein content (<I>r</I> = –0.17; <I>P</I> < 0.01) and crude protein content (<I>r</I> = –0.12; <I>P</I> < 0.01) were related more closely with FFA <I>c</I>. The FFAs can increase by 0.066 mmol/100 g with casein decrease by 0.10%. The FFAs in milk fat can slightly increase by the supply of energy to dairy cows (protein and casein decrease) and rise with the deteriorating health state of mammary gland (lactose, <I>r</I> = –0.14; <I>P</I> < 0.01) as well. The somatic cell count correlated with FFAs more weakly (<I>r</I> = 0.07; <I>P</I> < 0.05), similarly like the total mesophilic bacteria count (<I>r</I> = 0.11; <I>P</I> < 0.01), relatively more closely the psychrotrophic bacteria count (<I>r</I> = 0.27; <I>P</I> < 0.05). The deterioration of almost all hygienic indicators signified an FFA c increase. The urea content correlated with FFAs weakly (<I>r</I> = –0.08; <I>P</I> < 0.05) and the fat content imperceptibly as a component of similar substance like FFAs. The mechanical milk stress led to FFA liberation from fat esters proportionally to the intervention intensity (<I>P</I> < 0.001). Even a relatively small mechanical stress caused by mixing comparable to the current milking technology, milk transport and storage increased the FFA c of milk fat from 1.11 ± 0.19 to 1.80 ± 0.40 mmol/100 g (<I>P</I> < 0.05). The highest experimental stress up to 6.88 ± 0.55 mmol/100 g (<I>P</I> < 0.001).

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.

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...

Souček J., Pražan R., Roy A., Plíva P., Jelínek A., Vegricht J. (2017) This article deals with comparison of composts and manure use from the viewpoint of handling, transport and application on agricultural land. The published values were established by measurements under working conditions and afterwards converted on the basis of the content of nutrients defined in laboratory. Compost contained a greater share of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and had higher dry matter content and lower volume weight. Direct consumed energy expressed by recalculation of the consumed diesel fuel in case of composts moved from 5.12 MJ/kg (potassium) up to 16.19 MJ/kg (phosphorus). In case of manure it was higher and moved from 10.49 MJ/kg (nitrogen) up to 29.79 MJ/kg (phosphorus). The greatest share in energy consumption occupies transport, which was considered uniformly at the distance of 5 km. The study confirmed the feasibility of use of compost in agriculture as a partial substitute of conventional organic fertilizers; for its handling, transport and application the standard mechanization used for manure may be utilized.

Vegricht J., Šimon J., Bradna J. (2017): Manure leachate production and change in manure weight during the storage depending on the amount of bedding. Res. Agr. Eng., 63: 62-70.In the experiment, a group of 10 dairy cows was housed in a pen bedded with various amounts of wheat straw (5.2-13 kg/cow per day). The resulting mixture of feces, urine and bedding was stored in cubic containers with a volume of 1.5 m 3 . At regular intervals, the containers containing manure were weighed and manure leachate production was assessed. Daily changes in individual monitored variables over time in accordance with the amount of bedding per livestock unit per day (1 livestock unit = 500 kg live weight) were modelled using nonlinear mixed regression models. It was determined that manure weight changes and daily production of manure leachate released from manure stored in containers were related to storage duration and bedding amount in a statically significant manner. The results support the hypothesis that the amount of bedding has a statistically significant effect on the properties of manure stored in a manure pile.