Laboratory Tests to Optimize the Milking Machine Settings with Air Inlet Teat Cups for Sheep and Goats

Milking machine design and performance are directly related to the milkability of sheep and goats, with the aim of milking quickly, completely and gently. This leads to an increase in the milk yield with improved quality, and the maintenance of healthy udders. The aim of this study was to carry out laboratory tests to determine the optimal level of vacuum, pulsation rate and pulsation ratio of new milking machines in high and low milk lines for sheep and goats. This study was conducted at the Department of Research and Development, Siliconform, Germany. For this purpose, different levels of vacuum (32, 34, 36, 38 and 40 kPa), milk jet (2, 2.5, 3 and 4 mm), milk line (high line and low line) and pulsation ratio (50:50 and 60:40) were used. First minute water flow (1st WF/kg) was used as an indicator for assessing the best combination in the milking machine. In addition, the cyclic vacuum fluctuation was measured in the inner chamber of the teat cup during the 1st WF/kg with the aid of a Vacuscope device. Statistical analysis was conducted using the mixed procedure in SAS. Our results show that the vacuum level, the milk jet and the pulsation ratio had a significant influence (p < 0.05) on the 1st WF/kg in the two milking machines for goats and sheep. In conclusion, the ideal conditions for milking goats with air inlet teat cups in the milking machine are a vacuum level of 36–38 kPa (low line) and 38–40 kPa (high line), a pulsation rate of 90 cycles/min and a pulsation ratio of 60:40, while the ideal conditions in the sheep milking machines are a vacuum level of 35–36 kPa (low line) and 36–38 kPa (high line), a pulsation rate of 120 cycles/min and a pulsation ratio of 60:40 or 50:50.

Factors Affecting Machinations at Dairy Farms : An Appraisal from Economic Perspective

This study was undertaken to get a comprehensive idea about the favourable and unfavourable factors for adoption of dairy automation/ machinations as perceived by dairy farmers, and study the economic impact of semi-automatic milking machine for small, medium and large dairy unit using the analysis of total cost and monetary benefits. The study was carried out in north Indian states, 30 commercial dairy farmers were selected constituting a total of 150 respondents practicing commercial dairy farming under survey method of investigation. Results revealed that time saving in dairy farm operations, drudgery reduction, and maintenance of hygiene and quality of milk and milk products were perceived as top three favourable factors for adoption of dairy automation or machination. The high initial investment required for dairy automation, no extra milk price for hygiene and quality products through the adoption of dairy automation in the market, and high cost of equipment and less subsidy provided by the government were perceived as top three favourable factors for adoption of dairy automation or machination. The study indicated that adoption score of the respondents were not significantly correlated with age. It implies that age, education, family size land holding and experiences of dairy farming does not affect the adoption of dairy automation technologies. The additional monetary benefits apart from this economic benefit’s other benefits such as clean and hygiene milk, health care and management in economic terms were calculated about 43800, 39,600, and 64,000 per year for small, medium, and large dairy unit, respectively

THE FUNCTIONAL CONTROLABILITY OF MILK EJECTION OF THE ADAPTIVE MILKING SYSTEM

The concept of functional controllability of the milk ejection is considered, which makes it possible to predict the intensity of milk ejection in the online mode of the milking machine. The architecture of the functional controllability by intensity of milk ejection is developed. Input and output parameters of the structural-functional scheme of adaptive control of milk ejection intensity are described. An analytical model of milk ejection intensity based on Pearson's distribution is developed. The milk ejection intensity for different productivity and duration of cows milking is modelled. The microprocessor unit is designed using a single-chip microcontroller. It ensures the algorithm set by the central computer and implements a step of changing the pulsation frequency of 0.1 Hz, the ratio between the cycles of 0.25%, the phase shift step of 0.1 s.

Effect of Vacuum Level and Pulsation Parameters on Milking Efficiency and Animal Welfare of Murciano-Granadina Goats Milked in Mid-Line and Low-Line Milking Machines

The Murciano-Granadina goat breed has been described as a slow milking breed. As milking machine parameters can affect milk extraction in terms of yield and time employed, two experiments of one-month duration were performed with 88 goats in Latin square design to find the best combination of these parameters. One of them was carried out in a mid-line milking machine and one in a low-line milking machine. For each of them, two vacuum levels (36 and 40 kPa), two pulsation rates (90 and 120 cycles/min) and two pulsator ratios (50 and 60%) were used and milking efficiency, sanitary status of the mammary gland, milk cortisol, and teat end status were evaluated. Results showed that in milking machines installed in mid- and low-line, the use of 40 kPa system vacuum, 60% pulsator ratio and 90 or 120 cycles/min pulsation rate achieved optimum milking fractioning and efficiency. In the case of low-level milking machines, a similar combination with 36 kPa not only showed worse milking fractioning values, but also provided better values of teat end status and cortisol level.

Detection and characterization of small-sized microplastics (≥ 5 µm) in milk products

Microplastics (MPs) have gained a high degree of public interest since they are associated with the global release of plastics into the environment. Various studies have confirmed the presence of MPs throughout the food chain. However, information on the ingestion of MPs via the consumption of many commonly consumed foods like dairy products are scarce due to the lack of studies investigating the “contamination” of this food group by MPs. This lack of occurrence data is mainly due to the absence of robust analytical methods capable of reliably quantifying MPs with size < 20 µm in foods. In this work, a new methodology was developed to accurately determine and characterize MPs in milk-based products using micro-Raman (μRaman) technology, entailing combined enzymatic and chemical digestion steps. This is the first time that the presence of relatively low amounts of small-sized MP (≥ 5 µm) have been reported in raw milk collected at farm just after the milking machine and in some processed commercial liquid and powdered cow’s milk products.

Evaluation of Non-linear Models to Predict Potential Milk Yield of Beef Cows According to Parity Order Under Grazing

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of parity order on milk yield (MY) and composition over time of grazing beef cows and to evaluate non-linear models to describe the lactation curve. Thirty-six pregnant Nellore cows (12 nulliparous, 2 years; 12 primiparous, 3 years; and 12 multiparous, 4–6 years) were included in the study. With calving day assigned as day 0, milking was performed using a milking machine to estimate MY on days 7, 14, 21, 42, 63, 91, 119, 154, and 203. Dummy variable analyses were applied to estimate its effects on MY, composition (kg and percentage), afternoon/morning, and afternoon/total proportions. Since multiparous cows had higher MY than nulliparous and primiparous cows, two different groups were used for lactation curve analysis: Mult (multiparous) and Null/Prim (nulliparous and primiparous). The MY estimated by the last edition of BR-Corte (Nutrient Requirements of Zebu and Crossbred Cattle) equation was compared with the observed values from this study. Five nonlinear models proposed by Wood (WD), Jenkins &amp; Ferrell (JF), Wilmink (WK), Henriques (HR) and Cobby &amp; Le Du (CL) were evaluated. Models were validated using an independent dataset of multiparous and primiparous cows. The estimates for parameters a, b, and c of the CL equation were compared between groups, and the BR-Corte equation used the model identity methodology. Nulliparous and primiparous cows displayed similar MY (P &gt; 0.05); however, multiparous cows had an average MY that is 0.70 kg/day greater than that of nulliparous and primiparous cows (P &lt; 0.05). Milk protein and total solids were higher for multiparous cows (P &lt; 0.05). Effect of days in milking was found for milk fat, protein, and total solids (P &lt; 0.05). The yield of all milk components was higher for multiparous cows than for nulliparous and primiparous cows. The afternoon/morning and afternoon/total proportions of milk production were not affected by parities and days in milking (P &gt; 0.05), with an average of 0.76 and 0.42, respectively. The BR-Corte equation did not correctly estimate the MY (P &lt; 0.05). The equations of WD, WK, and CL had the best estimate of MY for both Mult and Null/Prim datasets. The equations had a very similar Akaike's information criterion with correction and mean square error of prediction.

Calculation of the salary and key provisions of the methodology for determining the total costs of technical service of machinery and equipment in animal husbandry

The initial data for calculating the basic salary are: the labour intensity of carrying out maintenance and repair of machinery and equipment in animal husbandry, as well as hourly tariff rates for workers in workshops and areas for the repair of agricultural machinery and tools, which are accepted directly in farms and repair and maintenance organizations independently, but not lower than the tariff rate has been established for budget organizations. The purpose of the work was to calculate the basic salary of personnel according to the tariff categories used in the Republic of Belarus, and to consider the key provisions of the methodology for determining the total costs of technical service of machinery and equipment in animal husbandry. The most important provisions of the methodology for calculating the basic salary of personnel of repair and maintenance departments and organizations operating in the livestock subcomplex of the Agro-industrial complex of the Republic of Belarus have been presented. The main points of the methodology for calculating the total costs of maintenance and repair for machines and equipment of livestock farms and complexes have been given in relation to the conditions and their own features of accounting and planning of repair and maintenance work in domestic animal husbandry. An example of practical calculation of costs for carrying out various types of maintenance and repair of a widely used domestic milking machine has been considered.

528 Late-Breaking: Late Gestation Metabolizable Energy Intake Increases Colostrum Yield and Alters Colostrum Composition in Beef Cattle

The objective was to determine how late gestation metabolizable energy (ME) intake impacts beef cow colostrogenesis. Angus-Simmental primiparous (n = 47) and multiparous (n = 109) cattle were blocked by expected calving date and randomly assigned to receive diets that supplied 80% (LME; n = 53), 100% (CME; n = 52), or 120% (HME; n = 51) of the ME requirement. Treatments were balanced by initial BW and fed for 53 d prior to calving. Cow body weight was recorded d -53, -39, -25, -10, and -3 relative to calving and retrospectively conceptus-corrected. Calves were weighed and measured prior to suckling. Colostrum was hand-stripped from all cows for compositional analysis and a subset (n = 16/treatment) was fully milked using a milking machine. Data were analyzed (PROC GLIMMIX) as a randomized block design, including the fixed effects of treatment, parity, and treatment×parity and the random effects of block and cow(block). Day and its interactions were included for repeated measurements. Treatment did not affect (P ≥ 0.73) cow BW or conceptus-corrected BW. Calf chest circumference was lesser (treatment×parity: P = 0.023) for primiparous vs. multiparous calves if their dams consumed LME or CME, but not if their dams consumed HME. Feeding HME rather than LME increased (P = 0.006) colostrum yield. The LME diet increased (P = 0.004) colostrum IgG concentration over HME; however, HME colostrum yielded more (P = 0.005) total IgG. Crude protein and urea-N were elevated (P &lt; 0.001) in LME colostrum, whereas HME colostrum contained more (P = 0.026) lactose. Low ME colostrum fat was greater (P = 0.013) than CME and beta-hydroxybutyrate was increased (P &lt; 0.001) in LME vs. CME and HME colostrum. These data provide insight regarding nutrient partitioning during late gestation and demonstrate that beef cow colostrogenesis is responsive to prepartum ME intake.

Laser Fluorescence and Extinction Methods for Measuring the Flow and Composition of Milk in a Milking Machine

Automation of milking systems is linked to accurate measurement of fluctuations in milk flow during milking. To assess the fluctuations of the milk flow, the formation and movement of milk portions in the milking machine-milk pipeline system was studied. By considering the movement of a milk plug along the milk pipeline, a hydraulic model of the formation of a critical volume of milk in the milking machine manifold was compiled. In practice, the most expedient way of determining milk flow parameters may be to measure the laser fluorescent and extinction responses of moving air-milk mixture. We have implemented a new laser sensing method for measuring the flow rate and composition of milk on the basis of counting the optical response pulses received from moving dispersed components by a CCD array or a randomized fiber optic bundle. Using the developed laser sensors, the theoretical model of milk flow was tested.