A method for assessing teatcup liner performance during the peak milk flow period

Area of Science:

• Dairy Science
• Animal Husbandry
• Veterinary Medicine

Background:

• Milking conditions can cause circulatory impairment in teat tissues.
• Understanding these conditions is crucial for maintaining udder health and optimizing milk production.
• Previous research has not fully quantified the relationship between specific milking parameters and teat tissue congestion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a method for quantifying milking conditions that lead to circulatory impairment of teat tissues during peak milk flow.
• To assess the impact of these milking conditions on milk flow rate during the same period.
• To establish a quantitative measure of circulatory impairment using teat canal area.

Main Methods:

• A central composite experimental design with 5 levels of system vacuum and pulsator ratio was employed.
• A novel quarter-milking device was used to apply treatments to 32 cow-quarters across 10 milkings.
• Milk flow rate (MFR) and teat canal cross-sectional area (CA) were measured and normalized; regression models were developed.

Main Results:

• Liner compression, teat-end vacuum, mouthpiece vacuum, and milk-phase time significantly predict MFR and teat-end congestion.
• Increased teat-end vacuum and milk-phase time enhanced MFR but reduced CA (increased congestion).
• Increased liner compression mitigated congestion, improving MFR and CA, especially at high vacuum and milk-phase times.

Conclusions:

• The developed method precisely estimates the effects of vacuum, pulsation, and liner compression on teat-end congestion.
• Milking parameters influence the balance between milking speed and udder tissue health.
• Findings provide insights for optimizing milking machine settings to improve both milk yield and animal welfare.