Abstract

This research communication describes how different detachment levels (0.48, 0.3 and 0.06 kg milk/min) at the quarter-level affect milk flow profiles and overall milking efficiency in automatic milking systems. We hypothesized a higher detachment level would result in greater mean flow rates without affecting the volume of harvested milk per cow during 24 h compared to lower detachment levels. The data suggest milk flow decreased to a rate below the overmilking limit within the 6-s delay time required for termination in all treatments, but the duration of overmilking was shorter for the greatest detachment level compared to the other treatments. We conclude that setting a detachment level at a greater milk flow rate reduces the duration of overmilking without affecting the amount of milk harvested when applied to cows in mid-lactation during quarter-level milking. We also suggest that the steepness of the decline phase of the milk flow curve might have a larger effect than the actual detachment level on the duration of overmilking.

Keywords

Dairy cow; quarter level milking; detachment level; quarter level milk flow curve

Published in

Journal of Dairy Research
2019, Volume: 86, number: 1, pages: 85-87
Publisher: CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS

SLU Authors

• Thulin, Måns

  • Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Agenäs, Sigrid

  • Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Svennersten Sjaunja, Kerstin

  • Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Animal and Dairy Science


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S002202991800078X

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/99595