Effect of milking vacuum level and overmilking on cows' teat characteristics

Abstract

The influence of milking vacuum and milk flow level (resp. detachment level) on cows’ teat characteristics were studied in four experiments. The MIXED procedure was used to test treatment effects on the level of teat length, teat thickness at the base and half-way between the teat end and the base of udder, teat canal length, teat end width, teat wall thickness, teat cistern width after milking and on differences between these teat characteristics measured before and after milking. A total of 51 cows were included in all experiments. All the cows had clinically healthy udders. Some cows were involved in two or more experiments. Finally, 330 teat measurements of 165 cows were taken and statistically processed. Vacuum and milking with or without overmilking significantly (P < 0.05-0.001) influence monitored parameters. Milking vacuum has an influence on two of three measured external teat parameters: teat diameter measured at the base of the teat and half-way between the udder base and the teat tip. Change in teat length measured before and immediately after milking was higher when higher vacuum of 45 kPa was used. Detachment level also has an influence on teat proportions. Overmilked teats were longer and narrower compared to non-overmilked teats. Interaction between milking vacuum and detachment level influences external teat parameters as well.

Review: Milking machine settings, teat condition and milking efficiency in dairy cows

“…Different liner design was shown to have an effect on the coloration and firmness of the teat and is more pronounced with duration of overmilking (Hillerton et al, 2002). Study by Pařilová et al (2011. ) finds that a combination of higher vacuum level and lower level of cluster detachment leads to a more prominent prolongation of the teat canal and widening of teat diameter.…”

“…Overmilking starts when the milk flow to the teat cistern is less than the amount of milk being removed during the lineropen phase (Rasmussen, 2004;Pařilová et al, 2011;Sterrett et al, 2013) and is associated with an elevation in mouthpiece chamber vacuum and fluctuations (Nørstebø et al, 2018). Due to a prolonged period of reduced flow, hyperemia, hemorrhage and edema of epithelial membrane of the teat cistern are starting to occur.…”

Calidad de la leche: factores asociados al personal vinculado al ordeño

“…El equipo de ordeño es el área que mayores cambios dinámicos, eficiencia y satisfacción generan en el productor en relación con el proceso de producción (23-24) y es también la herramienta que más horas trabaja por año en el hato (25), es por ello que la adquisición y mantenimiento de equipos eficientes y funcionales debe obedecer a una planeación, instalación, operación y manutención adecuadas que garanticen un ordeño simple, el cuidado de animales y el aumento de calidad de la leche, aunque, puede inducir muchos trastornos de la ubre (26), entre ellos daños en el esfínter del pezón, lo que puede influir en aumentos de RCS en tanque, disminución de la producción de leche, y costos de tratamientos.…”

“…For this reason, acquisition and maintenance of efficient and functional equipment must obey adequate planning, installation, and operation to guarantee proper milking, care of animals and increase of milk quality. This is important, considering that milking equipment can induce several udder disorders (26), including damage to the teat sphincter, which may decrease milk yield and increase tank SCC and treatment costs.…”

Occurrence of mastitis pathogens in relation to somatic cells

“…The higher incidence of environmental microorganisms, which include Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus uberis, can be explained by the development and change of milking technology, when the pipeline milking equipment in stall occurred more frequent contamination of the udder by hands of nursing staff or by handling with milking equipment. Therefore, the milking equipment infl uences whole row of indicators by its function and use, for instance by overmilking (Pařilová et al, 2010(Pařilová et al, , 2011, and can be factor and vector of mastitis origination. Aggravated function grows up mastitis occurrence and subsequently also somatic cell count (Hanuš and Ticháček, 1997).…”