The aim of the research is to study the possibility of using a latent period of the ejection of the first portion of milk in order to evaluate the individual characteristics of the milk ejection features of cows using the technology of bucket milking and robotic milking. Two experiments were conducted on cows of Black-Motley breed. Under the first experiment, the individual characteristics of the milk ejection were shown using the technology of bucket milking. Under the second experiment, they were determined for the technology of robotic milking. The first experiment was conducted on 12 mature cows. They were milked with a serial milking machine. The process of lactation was recorded by means of a bucket counter. The parameters of milk ejection were defined by analyzing the curve of lactation and making calculations. The second experiment was conducted on 30 first-calf heifers. Cows were milked on robotic installation the Astronaut A4 of Lely Company (the Netherlands). The data of the information system of herd management Lely T4C have been used for the analysis. Depending on the indicator of a latent period of the first milk portion ejection in both experiments three groups of cows (I–III) have been isolated. The ability of milk ejection in the first group was identified as high, in the second group – average and in the third group – low. Both experiments showed that the value of a latent period of the first milk portion ejection determined the milk ejection ability of cows. The increase in the period of the first milk portion ejection has been found among cows as their milk ejection ability decreses. The currently used milking technology shows that the reduced milk ejection among cows leads to the decrease in the indicators of the average and maximum intensity of milk ejection, the first two minutes of milking and also it leads to longer duration of milking. Using the robotic milking, the authors found that the first-calf heifers with the short period of the first milk portion ejection are characterized by the shortest duration of treating the teats and staying in the milking parlor, the average duration of milk ejection from the each quarter of the udder, as well as high values of the average and maximum intensity of milk ejection. The first-calf heifers with slow milking capacity are characterized by the longest duration of treating the teats and staying in the milking parlor, the average duration of milk ejection from the each quarter of the udder, as well as the lowest values of the average and maximum intensity of milk ejection. This suggests that the selection of first-calf heifers with high milk ejection ability will help to increase the productivity of automatic milking systems during the milking process. It is proposed to use the value of a latent period of the first milk portion ejection in the breeding activities.
THE FUNCTIONAL CONTROLABILITY OF MILK EJECTION OF THE ADAPTIVE MILKING SYSTEM
