Monitoring of water amount going to manure removal system from milking parlour

Abstract

Under a loose cow housing practice with automated milking installations, the manure removal system receives both manure from the barns and manure-bearing wastewater from the milking parlour. This is a mixture of animal excrement and washing water of frames and partitions in the milking installation and the manure-soiled floors and walls. The purpose of the study was to monitor the amount of washing water actually consumed in the milking parlour and subsequently entering the manure removal system. The monitoring was conducted on a farm in the Leningrad Region with an average dairy herd of 596 cows and three milkings a day in a Parallel 2x20 parlour. Electronic flowmeters were installed in the connection points of the washing equipment to the water supply system. They automatically recorded the water consumption every hour in the internal memory. The area, including the cow passages, was 255 m2 (milking parlour) and 267 m2 (holding area and sanitary zone). The holding area and the milking parlour were washed after each milking using high-pressure equipment. During the monitoring, the daily water consumption in the milking parlour varied from 11.3 to 17.5 m3. The average daily water consumption was 14.4 m3. The main amount of water was used in the milker's pit and averaged 64.6% of the total; 10.6% of the total water was used for washing the floor and walls with high-pressure equipment. The maximum water consumption was observed at the end of each milking, when the holding and milking areas were cleaned. The average amount of consumed water was 24 l cow-1•day-1, i.e. 8 l•cow-1 per milking. The study results are needed for correct dimensioning of manure storage facilities. They can be also used to calculate the moisture content of manure produced and, in case of its further separation, to determine the amount and moisture content of resulting fractions.

Water Performance Indicators and Benchmarks for Dairy Production Systems

“…The estimated wash water generated was 58.0 L cow −1 day −1 [38]. Gordeev et al [39] reported an average consumption of 15.6 L cow −1 day −1 for cleaning a milking parlor with high-pressure washers. Le Riche et al [40] observed 22.9 L cow −1 day −1 for floor washing with a hose.…”