Dairy Team News - Milking Equipment

Do you want to know how to solve teat condition problems?

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:58:00 -0600

In this paper the collective experience and knowledge of members of the Teat Club International have been applied to

describing effective treatments, changes in management or changes in machine settings that appear to provide successful solutions for particular teat condition problems in commercial herds;
indicating the expected time scale - after the start of a successful treatment or management change - until improvements in teat condition should become evident;
providing an estimate of the degree of confidence attached to each recommendation or conclusion.

Click on this link for the full paper.

http://www.uwex.edu/uwmril/pdf/MilkMachine/TeatConditionEval/07%20NMC%20TCI%20-Addressing%20teat%20condition[1].pdf

Effects of Liner Compression on Teat-End Hyperkeratosis

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:54:00 -0600

This paper reports on a study of the influenc of liners on teat end hyperkeretosis (rough and cracked teat ends). The teat canal is an important barrier against microorganism invasion of the udder. The degree of teat-end hyperkeratosis (HK) is a dynamic condition. Development of HK is influenced by many factors: some animal dependent, some dependent from seasonal condition and some from milking management. In particular milking vacuum and liner compression (LC) can influence teat-end condition. A quarter-udder experiment was performed with four liners each applied one quarter of 75 Holstein cows for a period of 3 weeks. Teat-end HK was assessed weekly. The results of this study confirm that the risk developing HK increases with liners that apply greater pressure to the teat end when closed. The risk of developing HK was highly influenced by the duration of milking and initial teat-end HK score.

For the full paper click on this link.

http://www.uwex.edu/uwmril/pdf/MilkMachine/MilkMachine/Liners/08%203798%20ASABE%20Zucali%20Liner%20Compression%20and%20HK.pdf

Ultrasonic Assessment of Teat Tissue Congestion

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:50:00 -0600

This paper describes a study to examine the congestion of teat tissues produced by milking. Four different milking treatments were applied to six cows at the pm milking. Ultrasonic imaging was used to measure teat wall thickness before milking, immediately after milking and 1, 2, and 4 hours after milking. Ultrasound measurement quantified changes in teat wall thickness during milking as well as the recovery rate of teat tissues after milking. The combination of milking vacuum level and b-phase duration had an effect on the degree of teat wall thickness after milking. An increase of about 25% was produced at a milking vacuum level of 44 kPa and B phase of 322 ms and an increase of about 35% at milking vacuum levels of 47 and 50 kPa and B phase of 500 ms or more. It appeared as if liner compression had an influence on the recovery rate of teat tissues. However, further experimentation is required to further investigate this effect.

Click on this link for the full paper.

http://www.uwex.edu/uwmril/pdf/MilkMachine/MilkMachine/Liners/08%203805%20ASABE%20Spanu%20Ultrasonic%20Assessement%20of%20teat%20tissue%20congestion.pdf

Method for Assessing Teat and Udder Hygiene

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:46:00 -0600

This paper presents a new method was developed to quantify bacteria on bovine teats prior to milking. Previous methods using swabs to recover bacteria from teat skin have shown a high degree of variability in the amount of bacteria recovered depending on the amount of pressure applied to the teat/swab interface, the variability in the surface area of the teat swabbed, and the choice of the area to swab as the entire teat surface cannot be practically swabbed. This new method uses a single towel moistened with water to recover soil and bacteria from all four teats of each individual cow. Bacteria are then recovered from the towel and suspended in a sterile water solution. This solution is then cultured and tested using direct microscopic methods. Data are presented from several case studies which were designed to detect differences between different bedding management strategies on the bacteria population on the teats of cows as they entered the milking parlor as well as to detect the efficacy of pre milking teat sanitation in both conventional and automatic (robotic) milking facilities.

Click on this link for the full Paper.

http://www.uwex.edu/uwmril/pdf/MilkMachine/MilkMachine/PerformanceTesting/083796%20ASABE%20Bade%20Method%20for%20Assessing%20Udder%20Hygiene.pdf

Slides for Milking Performance in Wisconsin

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:35:00 -0600

These are the slides from the presentaion on evaluating milking performance in WIsconsin that was part of the January 2008 Dairy Team Road Show. They are a supplement to the comanion paper.

Preliminary Data about the Effect of Milking Management on Microbial Quality of Milk

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 12:54:00 -0600

Many of you are aware that milk processors are increasingly focusing on additional quality parameters other than the traditional SCC and standard plate count. One of the biggest concerns that is looming is the wildly fluctuating coliform counts which are often observed on larger dairy farms. While there are currently no national regulatory standards for coliform count, this issue is increasingly being examined by processors as a potential marker for quality problems (especially hygiene). Over the last couple of years, we have performed several research projects to evaluate the impact of various aspects of milking management on microbial quality of milk. The results of those studies will be gradually released over the next year as we finish the publications that we will be submitting for peer review. In the meantime, we will be posting short proceedings papers that contain preliminary data. This paper review some farm practices that we have demonstrated to have an impact on bacterial counts of milk.

Making the Most of Milking Time

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 13:11:00 -0600

This paper, presented by Dr. Graeme Mein at the NMC annual meeting, provides a concise summary of the most important management decisions to improve the performance and efficiency of milking.

http://www.uwex.edu/uwmril/pdf/MilkMachine/PerformanceTesting/07%20NMC%20Making%20the%20most%20of%20Milking[1].pdf

Benchmarks for Milking Performance In Wisconsin

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 12:04:00 -0600

Are you wondering how the best milking parlors are performing in Wisconsin?

Have a look at this paper for statistics from milking parlor user groups in south and central Wisconsin.

http://www.uwex.edu/uwmril/pdf/MilkingParlors/07%20Bade%20IDF%20Wis%20Italy%20Dairy%20Survey.pdf

Milking Parlor Advisor

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 11:55:00 -0600

Are you wondering what size milking parlor to build?

Are you wondering how much it costs to build and operate a milking parlor?

Are you wondering how many people to put it the pit?

Are you wondering how to make you existing parlor more efficient?

All these ane more can be answered with the Milking Center Advisor.

Software and user guide guide are availalbe for download at:

http://www.uwex.edu/uwmril/milk_parlor/mpmain.htm

UW-Extension Dairy Team "2008 Road Show"

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 14:52:00 -0600

The annual UWEX Dairy Team Road Show titled " Gaining the Competitive Edge: A Dairy Seminar Series" will be offered in 14 locations across WI from January 8-17. Topics inlcude: crossbreeding research updates; milking equipment and management; animal health/Johne's control; dairy nutrition/using byproduct feeds from biofuels. Advance registration is required. See attached brochure for more details.