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Modern technologies that are being introduced into the agricultural sector have led to the fact that almost every cattle owner strives to accustom a cow to a milking machine. With the advent of special equipment, the process of milk extraction has become significantly faster and easier. The equipment costs quickly pay off, which is why the device instantly gained popularity among farmers.
Methods of machine milking of cows
There are 3 main ways of producing milk:
- natural;
- machine;
- manual.
In the natural method, when the calf sucks the udder on its own, milk is released due to the vacuum that forms in the calf’s mouth. For the manual method, this process is due to the squeezing of milk from the teat tank directly by hand by a worker or the owner of the animal. And the machine method involves artificial suction or squeezing using a special milking machine.
The process of milk ejection itself occurs quickly. It is important that the cow is milked as much as possible - the amount of residual fluid in the udder should be minimal.To fulfill this main requirement, there are a number of rules for machine and manual milking, which consist of:
- preparatory;
- basic;
- additional procedures.
Preliminary preparation consists of treating the udder with clean warm water, followed by wiping and massage, milking a small amount of milk into a special container, connecting and setting up the apparatus and putting milking cups on the animal’s teats. Professional milking operators perform the entire list of procedures in less than a minute.
The main part is the direct extraction of milk. Machine milking is the process of extracting milk from the udder using special equipment. The whole process takes on average 4-6 minutes, including machine dodoing.
The final stage consists of a series of final procedures - turning off the equipment, removing the glasses from the udder and final treatment of the teats with an antiseptic.
When machine milking occurs, milk is extracted from the udder teat using a milking cup. In this case, he performs the function of a calf sucking milk or a milkman who mechanically acts on him. There are two types of milking cups:
- single-chamber – an obsolete type that is still used in production;
- two-chamber – modern glasses with high efficiency and minimal trauma.
Regardless of the chosen method of obtaining milk, the product is released in cycles in separate portions. This is explained by the physiology of the animal. The time period during which one portion of milk comes out is called the milking cycle or pulse by experts. It is divided into beats.They are defined as the period during which one interaction of an animal with a machine takes place.
Principles of machine milking of cows
The principle of hardware milk production is based on the various physiological characteristics of the cow. The principle of stimulation for the milk letdown reflex has been known for thousands of years.
In the process of milking milk with special glasses, exactly as with the natural sucking of the udder by a calf, the nerve cells and receptors that are located on the nipples are activated. They are most sensitive to pressure, and when it is present, an impulse is transmitted to the brain to release oxytocin. After a few seconds, it enters the animal’s udder through the circulatory system.
Technologies for machine milking of cows must comply with the following zootechnical requirements:
- they do not start milking if the cow has not let in milk;
- the preparatory stage should last no longer than 60 seconds;
- milking takes a little more than 4 minutes, but no longer than 6 minutes;
- the optimal speed of milking a cow is 2-3 liters per minute;
- during the period of maximum milk production, milk comes out of the nipples completely;
- the process should be adjusted so that there is no need for manual milking;
- Proper machine milking of cows does not cause any harmful effects on the udder and health of the cow in principle, which is an inevitable consequence of overexposure to glasses on the teats.
The operating principle of all milking machines is as follows: rarefied air from a vacuum wire enters the pulsator through a special hose, after which it then moves into the inter-wall space. This completes one stroke of sucking.However, in the chamber under the teats at the teat cup, the vacuum is constantly exposed.
To produce cow's milk use:
- two-stroke devices based on the compression-sucking principle;
- three-stroke with an additional rest period.
When compressed, air from the atmosphere enters the chambers between the walls of the milking cups, which leads to compression of the teats. During the sucking stroke, the pressure in the chambers stabilizes and milk comes out of the nipple.
Also, due to high pressure and vacuum, blood, lymph and various gases enter the udder, which causes the nipples to become significantly larger. This is a rather painful process that can lead to pathological changes in cells. That is why the third step was introduced - rest - to reduce the negative impact on tissue. Detailed machine milking of cows is presented in the video at the end of the article.
Preparing the milking machine for operation
A milking machine is a special technical device that comes into direct contact with the animal and products. Therefore, it requires special care and preliminary preparation before each milking.
Effective milking of cows is only possible if the milk extraction unit is in good working order and is configured correctly by the operator. Therefore, before starting work, it is necessary to accurately diagnose it for problems and various malfunctions. Correct operation means ensuring the correct pulsation frequency and vacuum pressure. How to achieve these settings is usually described in the milking machine user manual.
Before starting work, you need to check that the hoses with other parts fit tightly, the nipple rubber is intact, and there is a gasket between the edge of the can and the lid. You also need to make sure that there are no mechanical damages on the can, because air can leak through dents, which will cause all the equipment for milking cows to fail.
It should be borne in mind that the liners on the glasses break most quickly. They wear out, so it is advisable for the machine operator to always have a few extra sets in stock.
Almost all milking machines require regular lubrication of rubbing parts. You can read more about this in the user manual, where the manufacturer himself provides recommendations for operating the device.
The process of basic preparation of the installation for automated milking of a cow is as follows:
- Before putting on, the milking cups are heated; to do this, they need to be held in water with a temperature of 40-50 for several seconds;
- upon completion of milking, all accessible parts of the device are also washed - first with warm water, and then with a special washing solution;
- the internal parts of the device that are in direct contact with dairy products are also washed after each use. This is done using a vacuum, when instead of milk, detergent and disinfectant are passed through the entire apparatus.
A clean device is stored in the position and conditions specified by the manufacturer.Operation in accordance with the rules is the key to quality milking.
How to properly milk a cow with a milking machine
When using automatic devices, you must follow the following rules for machine milking of cows:
- Before starting the process, you need to inspect the animal's udder for any problems - diseases or damage. It is also advisable to regularly conduct tests to ensure that milk meets sanitary and epidemiological standards.
- If several cows are served by one milking machine at once, then it is necessary to draw up a special calendar and the order of their processing. A certain sequence must be followed. First of all, those cows that have recently calved are milked, then the young and healthy ones are milked, and the old and “problem” cows are the last to be milked.
- Before placing glasses on the cow's teats, 2-3 streams are manually milked from each udder. All milk must be collected in a special container. Leaving it on the floor is strictly prohibited, as this can lead to an outbreak of diseases and the rapid spread of harmful bacteria. A person who works with a cow must be able to visually assess the quality of milk - check for the presence of clots, inclusions or any other deviations in color and texture.
- To prevent the cow from developing mastitis and to keep the milk clean, the teats are washed and then wiped dry with each milking. To do this, it is advisable to use disposable paper towels or an individual fabric cloth after the milking machine, which is washed after each use.
- After turning off the unit, you need to wait until the vacuum drops inside the glasses.There is no need to forcefully pull on the cow's udder to remove the equipment. This may cause mastitis.
How to accustom a cow to a milking machine
Preparation for automatic milking of cows occurs in several stages:
- Prepare the udder and room.
- The cow is gradually adapted to the noise from the apparatus.
Preparation of the animal's udder includes treatment before and after the procedure, and also protects in every possible way from the formation of mechanical damage.
Experts recommend:
- Always collect milk at the same time;
- carry out the procedure in the same place (then the cow itself will enter its box out of habit), adaptation takes an average of 5-7 days;
- the first days in the box, the cow is milked by hand until she gets used to the environment, and then they begin to accustom her to the milking machine;
- accustom the animal to noise - cows are very timid and can experience stress from any excess noise; loud sounds from the milking machine can completely stop lactation.
Experts are confident that it is not at all difficult to accustom an animal to machine milking. The owner must be patient and understanding with the cow, and not show aggression or use physical force. This way he will achieve success in a short period of time.
Conclusion
The need to accustom a cow to a milking machine arises as soon as the farmer decides to switch to automatic milk production. This is a convenient and advanced way to set up automatic production, reduce human intervention and speed up product receipt. On average, one procedure takes about 6-8 minutes, including the preparatory stages. The equipment itself is easy to maintain. It is important to maintain hygiene and cleanliness and treat the device with special cleaning agents after each use.
