ADVANTAGE & USES OF MILKING MACHINE

Advantages of milking machines

·         Saving of labour expenses.

·         Reduction of dependency on skilled farm workers.

·         Enables rearing of larger herd strength.

·         3-4 times faster than hand milking.

·         Increase in the milk yield.

·         Increase in the quality of milk.

·         Reduces stress throughout the lactation by creating good milking routines.

 

Follow principles of good milking. These are as follows:

The principle of machine milking differs from the principle of hand milking and sucking. During hand milking, the milk is pressed out, while during sucking, the milk is mainly pressed and to some extent sucked out. During machine milking the milk is sucked out by a difference in pressure between the inner wall of the liner and udder. Therefore, the milking machine is fabricated in such a way so that sucking is interrupted by rhythmical motion (opening and closing) of the liner.

Care After Machine Milking:

(i) Automatic cluster removal at the appropriate time and in a current way.

(ii) Post milk teat dipping with iodophores or antiseptic solutions.

(iii) Milking sick animals lastly and discarding milk from mastitis infected animals,

(iv) Cleaning of the milking unit after milking.

(v) Don’t make incomplete milking of any quarter as the milk left in the quarter predisposes it to mastitis infection and overall yield of milk may also be less. Give special attention to those quarters which do not milk out as readily as others

 

Care Before Machine Milking:

1. Cleaning of animals by sprinkling of water before milking.

2. Cleaning of drying teats before milking.

3. Sufficient pre-milking stimulation by massage.

4. Observing the quality of fore milk.

5. Avoid machine milking when the animal is suffering from Mastitis.

6. Proper attachment of milking unit and alignment of tea cups.

7. Proper distribution of cluster weights overall the four teats.

8. Observing the animals for any behavioral changes.

9. Routine checking of SCC in milk.

10. Cleaning the milking parlor.

11. Follow the machine operating specifications before using.

12. Repairing, servicing, testing and changing the machine parts timely.

13. Put on teat-cup promptly after the cow is prepared for “let-down” of milk.

14. Don’t cause stimulus “let-down” too soon.

 

Care During Machine Milking:

 

(a) Precise and regular pulsation of machine.

(b) Checking the vacuum level and any air leakage.

(c) Proper handling of milking unit.

(d) Preventing tea cups from coming in contact with contaminated material like dung, urine, dist, etc.

(e) Do not allow tea cups to remain on too long as the teats at their opening may become eroded and hard causing teat erosion.

(f) Do not operate machine with excessive vacuum than the recommend one as it will cause injury on the lining of teat cistern.

5. Time Saving:

The number of animals milked per hour per milkier at one time is one of the most important parameters to use milking machine. The speed with which a cow is milked is of great economic importance in the dairy farm operation.

Many researchers (Joshi, et al, 1992 and Singh and Dave, 1994) clearly indicated that milking machine takes less time than hand milking. Using a milking machine 1 person can milk 20 cows in 15 min., whereas in hand milking, 2 people can milk 20 cows in 2 hrs. 30 min. Josh et al., (1992) also recorded an average time of 0.98 min for milking each kg in milking machine and 3.23 min. in hand milking.

 

Advantages of Machine Milking (Singh & Dang, 2004):

1. Large number of animals can be milked efficiently.

2. Milking by machine saves time by almost half.

3. Increases the rate of milking.

4. Dependence on labour requirements reduced.

5. Conductivity and temperature sensors attached to the machines can assist the dairymen in on line detection of sickness and estrus.

6. Incomplete milking, poor hygiene etc. by hand can be avoided.