The response to thrice-daily milking and its relationship to cisternal storage capacity in dairy cows

1992 ◽  
Vol 1992 ◽  
pp. 37-37
Author(s):  
R.J. Dewhurst ◽  
C.H. Knight
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Storage Capacity ◽  
Farm Management ◽  
Once Daily ◽  
Alveolar Tissue ◽  
Secretory Tissue ◽  
Milking Frequency ◽  
Yield Responses ◽  
Management Services

Recently there has been increased interest in the effects of changing the milking frequency of dairy cows because of the possibilities of either increased milking frequency, through the use of robot-milkers or of once-daily milking as a part of a programme of extensification. Archer (1983), reviewing the literature and data from herds monitored by Farm Management Services, found milk yield responses on changing from twice- to thrice-daily milking from -0.14 to +0.49. These differences represent large between-animal differences in responses to thrice-daily milking and there is a need to identify sources of this variation.Milk is stored in the udder in both the cistern and the secretory alveolar tissue itself. Since milk contains a protein which is inhibitory to secretion, storage within the secretory tissue is disadvantageous and reduces the efficiency of secretory tissue. Work at the Hannah Research Institute has shown that the effect of the inhibitor can be overcome by milking more frequently and that the response to thrice-daily milking of goats was greater with animals having smaller cisterns.

Once daliy milking of dairy cows: relationship between yield loss and cisternal milk storage

1994 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 441-449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher H. Knight ◽  
Richard J. Dewhurst
Keyword(s):  
Milk Yield ◽  
Once Daily ◽  
A Value ◽  
Total Milk ◽  
Alveolar Tissue ◽  
Milking Frequency ◽  
Rate Of Decline ◽  
Milk Storage ◽  
Storage Characteristics ◽  
Degree Of Recovery

SummaryThe proportions of milk stored in the gland cistern (cisternal) and within secretory alveolar tissue (alveolar) were determined for a group of ten cows in mid lactation, yielding ∼ 20 kg milk/d. As a proportion of total milk, cisternal milk, measured at 8 h after milking, ranged from 0·09 to 0·53. Milking frequency was then reduced from twice daily to once daily on two occasions, first for 1 week and then, 2 weeks later, for 2 weeks. Milk yield was reduced during once daily milking in all cows, by an average of 22·8% during the first week (P < 0·001). The amount of decrease varied among cows in a way that was unrelated to pretreatment yield, but the immediate decrease was significantly and inversely correlated with cisternal milk proportion (r = 0·81, P < 0·01). When milking reverted to twice daily, yield recovered to a value not significantly different from pretreatment, and the degree of recovery was inversely related to cisternal milk proportion (r = 0·74, P < 0·01). With the exception of one cow, yield decreases correlated well between the two periods of once daily milking. When treatment weeks were disregarded, lactation persistency (the rate of decline in yield with time) was unaffected by once daily milking. The results show that the ability of individual cows to tolerate once daily milking is related to their cisternal storage characteristics; yield is reduced less in cows that store a greater proportion of their total milk production within the cistern. Once daily milking for up to 2 weeks had no lasting effect on milk yield or lactation persistency, suggesting that there had been no detrimental effect on udder development.

scholarly journals The effect of milking frequency on milk yield and milk composition in ewes

2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (No. 2) ◽  
pp. 41-50
Author(s):  
Lucia Mačuhová ◽  
Vladimír Tančin ◽  
Juliana Mačuhová
Keyword(s):  
Milk Yield ◽  
Somatic Cell Count ◽  
Storage Capacity ◽  
Milk Composition ◽  
The Other ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Stage Of Lactation ◽  
Milking Frequency ◽  
The Right ◽  
Main Factor

Milking frequency is the main factor regulating milk yield and milk quality if feeding, welfare, health, and environmental conditions are adequate. Milk yield and composition are substantially influenced by breed, and consequently the breed has an impact on both factors at a different frequency of milking. Further, the size of cisternal compartment plays an important role in accommodating secreted milk between milkings. Thus, ewes with large cisterns (i.e. large cisternal area, high cisternal milk percentage, and delayed tight junction opening during milk stasis) adapt themselves better to longer milking intervals than ewes with a small cistern. The increase of milking frequency from two to three times a day can lead to an increase of milk yield in the range of 3 to 36%. On the other hand, the reduction of milking frequency from twice to once a day can decrease milk yield from 9 to 67%. Two milkings per week could be omitted with no negative effects on milk yield, milk composition, and somatic cell count in ewes with large cisterns. However, besides the breed and cistern storage capacity, the results in literature show that the effects of milking frequency on milk yield and milk composition can vary according to the stage of lactation, individual animal, production level, practice of stripping, and duration of changed frequency. The right use of different milking frequency strategies can result in increased milk yield or in significant savings in labour and time spent in the milking parlour with negligible or no negative effects on milk yield and composition.

The responses of high and medium merit dairy cows to diets differing in grass silage: concentrate ratios, during early lactation

1996 ◽  
Vol 1996 ◽  
pp. 5-5
Author(s):  
C.P. Ferris ◽  
F.J. Gordon ◽  
D.C. Patterson ◽  
C.S. Mayne
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Dairy Herd ◽  
Yield Potential ◽  
Genetic Merit ◽  
The Past ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Yield Responses ◽  
Feeding Systems

The genetic merit of the UK dairy herd is increasing rapidly and this trend is likely to continue for the forseeable future. With cows of higher milk yield potential and higher nutrient requirements, feeding systems developed in the past with medium genetic merit animals, may now need to be adapted to meet the needs of high genetic merit animals if nutrition x genotype interactions exist. This would be particularly true to increasing proportion of concentrates in grass silage based diets. This study was undertaken to compare the milk yield responses of high and medium merit dairy cows.

Effect of low light intensity at night on cow traffic in automatic milking systems

2014 ◽  
Vol 54 (10) ◽  
pp. 1784
Author(s):  
Fanny Hjalmarsson ◽  
Ingemar Olsson ◽  
Sabine Ferneborg ◽  
Sigrid Agenäs ◽  
Emma Ternman
Keyword(s):  
Light Intensity ◽  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Low Light ◽  
Milking Frequency ◽  
Automatic Milking ◽  
Automatic Milking Systems ◽  
Reduced Light

Several studies have shown benefits of long-day (16 h) photoperiod in lactating dairy cows, but have not identified a suitable light intensity for the dark hours. It is known that the locomotion pattern of dairy cows is altered at low light intensities and this may translate to reduced cow traffic and milking frequency, which would have a negative impact on system productivity. However, it is also recognised that a significant disturbance of rest may have a negative impact on the health and productivity of high-yielding dairy cows. This study examined the effect of three different night-time light intensities (LOW: 11 ± 3, MED: 33 ± 1 and HIGH: 74 ± 6 lx) on number of gate passages, milking frequency and milk yield in dairy cows in automatic milking systems. The study was conducted in Sweden during the winter of 2012–13 and the treatments were applied in a crossover design to three herds with an automatic milking system. Minimum day time light intensity was 158 lx. Data on gate passages, milking frequency and milk yield for 172 ± 49 (mean ± s.d.) cows during the last 22 days of each 34-day study period were analysed for treatment differences and differences in daily distribution over 24 h, during day time and night time. Light intensity did not affect total number of gate passages per 24-h period and cow, but number of gate passages per hour and cow was in all treatments lower during night time than during day time. Milking frequency was increased in MED compared with both HIGH and LOW (P < 0.05). Milk yield decreased with reduced light intensity, and differed significantly between HIGH and LOW treatments, 45 ± 1 kg and 44 ± 1 kg, respectively (P < 0.001). Our conclusion is that reducing light intensity to 11 lx at night time does not affect cows’ general activity as gate passages remained the same for all treatments. However, milk yield decreased with reduced light intensity, which might be related to a lower feed intake. We argue that providing night light for dairy cows, as required by many welfare acts, might be related to production level rather than welfare aspects and that the recommendations should be revised.

Efficacy of a lasalocid supplement in the diet of dairy cows in early lactation in a pasture-based dairy system

2007 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 658 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. R. Stockdale
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Early Lactation ◽  
Maize Silage ◽  
Production History ◽  
Equivalent Control ◽  
Yield Responses ◽  
Daily Milk Yield ◽  
Daily Milk

The lasalocid supplement, Bovatec, was fed to dairy cows at 300 mg of active ingredient for ~3 weeks precalving to up to 16 weeks postcalving in a pasture-based system. Sixty primiparous cows and 120 multiparous cows were allocated to equivalent control and lasalocid groups based on expected calving date, size and previous production history. To facilitate the feeding of the lasalocid, it was mixed with maize silage (~1 kg DM/cow.day) and fed as one feed on a concrete feed pad early in the morning each day before calving and before the afternoon milking during lactation. The control group received the maize silage without lasalocid. Otherwise, the feeding of both groups was exactly the same. The key response associated with adding lasalocid to the diet differed between the primiparous and multiparous cows. Although the average daily milk yield responses to lasalocid were not significant (P > 0.05) at 1.1 and 0.6 kg/cow for the primiparous and multiparous cows, respectively, significant (P < 0.05) increases in the milk yield of the primiparous cows were consistently recorded between weeks 5 and 15 of lactation. With the multiparous cows, there was a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in the circulating concentrations of serum β-hydroxybutyrate in those fed the lasalocid, with this being related to a tendency (P = 0.087) for these animals to maintain higher body condition scores for much of the early lactation treatment period. There were no other treatment differences of biological importance.

Responses to grain feeding by grazing dairy cows

1998 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 541 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. C. Robaina ◽  
C. Grainger ◽  
P. Moate ◽  
J. Taylor ◽  
J. Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Difference Method ◽  
Protein Concentration ◽  
Milk Composition ◽  
Supplementary Feeding ◽  
Sampling Techniques ◽  
Grazing Dairy Cows ◽  
Yield Responses

Summary. Two experiments were conducted on feeding grain supplements to dairy cows during summer. In experiment 1, dairy cows in mid–late lactation were offered one of 2 pasture allowances (about 20 and 40 kg DM/cow.day) with and without a supplement of a grain mix (5 kg of a 70 : 30 mixture of barley and lupins). This experiment was conducted twice over 2 consecutive summer–autumn periods (years 1 and 2). Milk yields were higher at the high pasture allowance and with grain feeding. The marginal response to grain feeding (kg milk/kg grain DM consumed) was 0.7 at both pasture allowances in year 1, and 1.1 and 0.8 at the low and high pasture allowance, respectively, in year 2. Diet had no significant effect on milk composition. Pasture intake was reduced by supplementary feeding and the level of substitution depended on pasture allowance. The alkane-based and sward sampling techniques were used to estimate pasture intake and diet digestibility. Estimates of pasture substitution, based on measurements made with the alkane technique, were 0.3 and 0.6 kg DM reduction in pasture/kg DM grain consumed at the low and high pasture allowance, respectively, in both years. In year 1, the pasture substitution measured with the pasture difference method was 1 kg pasture DM/kg grain DM at both pasture allowances. In year 2, estimates of substitution calculated using the pasture difference method were 0.2 and 0.5 kg pasture DM/kg grain DM at the low and high pasture allowance respectively. In the second experiment (year 3), the effects of level of feeding barley on pasture intake, diet digestibility and milk production were measured during summer. The 4 levels of grain consumed were 0, 1.8, 3.4 and 6.7 kg barley DM/cow. day. Higher grain intake resulted in higher milk yield, higher protein concentration and yields of fat, protein and lactose. Milk yield responses per kilogram of barley diminished from 1.6 at the low barley intake to 0.8 kg milk/kg barley DM at the highest barley intake. It is suggested that higher levels of substitution and a potentially less efficient use of grain contributed to the poorer production responses at higher levels of grain feeding.

Effect of frequency of milking on yield, composition and processing quality of milk

2002 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 367-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
BERNADETTE O'BRIEN ◽  
GERARD RYAN ◽  
WILLIAM J. MEANEY ◽  
DAVID McDONAGH ◽  
ALAN KELLY
Keyword(s):  
Milk Yield ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Milk Composition ◽  
Plasmin Activity ◽  
Coagulation Time ◽  
Once Daily ◽  
Rennet Coagulation ◽  
Milking Frequency ◽  
Quality Of Milk

The objective was to determine the effect of once-daily milking (ODM) and omitting one evening milking each week (13TWM), in late lactation on milk production, composition and processability. Seventy-two cows were assigned to three treatments (ODM, 13TWM and twice-daily milking [TDM]) from 4 October to 12 December. Cows were on average 218 d into lactation at the start of the trial, and all cows were managed similarly throughout the trial. Milk yields and gross milk composition of cows on all treatments were measured, and milk samples for detailed compositional and processability analysis were collected from TDM and ODM treatments at two consecutive milkings and at one milking each week, respectively. Milk yield was significantly reduced (P<0.001) and milk fat and protein concentrations were increased (P<0·01) with ODM compared with TDM. Milk yield and fat and protein concentrations of milk from TDM and 13TWM herds were similar. Casein concentrations in ODM and TDM milks were similar, but ODM milk had a higher (P<0·05) whey protein content. Somatic cell count of ODM and TDM milks was similar. Rennet coagulation time (RCT) and curd firmness (A60) of milk were not affected by milking frequency. However, rate of curd aggregation (K20) of ODM milk was reduced (P<0·05) compared with that of TDM milk. Plasmin activity in ODM milk was numerically higher than in TDM milk, but the effect was not significant. ODM milk had higher NAGase activity than TDM milk (P<0·01). In conclusion, once daily milking reduced milk yield by 29% and did not adversely affect the processability of milk. Moreover, one evening milking per week could be eliminated without adverse effects on milk yield or composition.

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