Igor Nikolaev
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The vitamin composition and taste qualities put cow's milk on a pedestal. It is the most popular among the milk of other animals. It is easy to obtain it in large quantities both in the personal economy and on an industrial scale. But often in a herd one cow gives much less milk than another.
Secrets are not only in hereditary factors and physiological abilities of the udder and the body. Also important is the interest of the owner of cattle to carry out a set of measures for milking.
The appearance of milk in a cow is considered a complex physiological process. Nutrients enter the udder, which form the basis of your favorite delicacy. And from the digestive system, nutrients enter the bloodstream.
For example, in order for a cow to give a liter of milk, up to five hundred liters of blood must pass through her udder.
Thus, much depends on the circulatory system, which should work like a clock. Not the last role is played by the hormonal and nervous systems.
The udder is a mammary gland, divided in the middle by a septum. The latter plays the role of a support for the right and left halves. They, in turn, are divided into quarters - front and back. Accordingly, there are four nipples on the udder (rarely up to six). Milk is produced in many small sacs called alveoli. This is just an explanation for the question of where the cow has milk.
From the inside, they are covered with a secretory epithelium that produces milk. The alveoli communicate through tubules with ducts that empty into the milk cistern. It is connected to the nipples.
During lactation, the alveolar system changes. Such a complex process depends on external factors, including mastitis, the difference in productivity and milk composition.
The epithelium connects the leading parts of milk from the nutritional components that come with the blood:
- proteins;
- fats;
- lactose.
During the connection process, all these components change. But vitamins, enzymes, hormones, mineral salts reach the animal's plasma from the blood in kind, as they are. Their content may vary. For example, the composition of calcium in milk is fourteen times higher than in blood plasma. The same can be said about phosphorus, only the number is ten. As for sodium, there is a smaller composition - the difference in favor of plasma is seven times.
During lactation, milk is produced in the udder without interruption:
- first it flows into the cavity of the alveoli;
- excreted through small ducts into large ones;
- tanks are filled.
The whole process takes up to half a day, and then the mammary gland ceases to be so active.
If the cow is not milked for more than sixteen hours, then the pressure in the udder increases and the secretion of milk stops completely.
Not milking a cow even for the specified period means starting the process of absorption of milk components. Allowing skipping leads to a decrease in milk production, the animal simply gives it less. The udder must be large enough not to overflow, the cow must be cooked for this.
Milking
The milking of cattle representatives is a very responsible and complex process, as well as the appearance of milk. The udder filled up. If catheters are placed in the nipples, large streams can be seen. But despite the intensity, less than half of the contents will be milked. A smaller part of a cow's milk before it is milked is in tanks.
There are cases when, at the very beginning of milking, a significant part of the milk was in the tanks. To get the rest, you need to compress the alveoli. It turns out that the first milk portions flow out of the tank quite easily. The cow makes no effort to drain it and cannot even restrain it.
For full return, you need to make an effort to squeeze the alveoli located in the nipples. In this case, join the manual method or with the help of milking equipment. They contain the bulk of the milk produced.
It is never possible to empty the udder completely. There remains a little more than a liter of residual milk. It does not disappear, new arrivals join it, and in a few days the milk is milked out.
If residual milk is considered a natural physiological phenomenon, then sometimes it does not completely empty the udder due to poor milking.
How is milking done?
Milking is considered a reflex. To a certain extent, the rush of blood plays a role in the flow of milk. This is understandable by the increase in the temperature of the udder, it becomes hot, the teats are slightly enlarged.
So the following components of the body are involved in milking:
- nervous system;
- endocrine glands (thyroid, posterior pituitary, stellate cells);
- breast muscles.
If in the laboratory you try to turn off the sensitive receptors of the mammary gland, then the natural process of milking is disturbed. Just touching the nipples is pointless, they need to be carefully squeezed, since it is possible to get to the right receptors by volitional compression.
The greatest impact should be on the base of the nipples. Experienced breeders adapt to the process.
According to the experiments, the specialists managed to prove that uniform squeezing of the nipples a hundred times per minute gives an excellent result.
Of course, this is a laborious process, but the resulting product is worth it.
push hormone
From talking about the number of nipple squeezes during milking, it is worth moving on to the recoil hormone. This is oxytocin. Most of all, it is cultivated in the blood by the third minute from the beginning of the process. After four or five minutes of milking, the hormone becomes inactive.
Therefore, the ability to produce milk is directly related to the ability to use these reflexes.
An experienced mistress or owner of dairy cows should perform all procedures promptly so as not to miss the period of oxytocin action. It is desirable that the milking pattern be the same. Thus, it is possible to achieve continuity and fruitfulness of the milking process.
razdoy
Measures taken for quality feeding, maintenance and milking of calving cows are called milking. If the whole complex is performed correctly, then large milk yields are obtained and the productive health of the animal is maintained.
When the calves appear, you can start the distribution. About two weeks after calving, the cow is milked up to five times a day. Then three times. This is especially true for young females when it is necessary to achieve high milk yields and. Although, for financial reasons, many farms are switching to double milking - in the morning and in the evening, since cost reduction will be required for these purposes.
Previously, it was believed that milk resides during milking. Then this misconception was debunked. It turned out that it is formed constantly. A smaller part of a cow's milk is stored in the glandular cells themselves, a little more - in the alveoli. Only now the last "vessels" accumulate milk, inferior in fat content to another.
It is the last drops of milk that are called cellular and the fattest. In general, the more filled the alveoli, the lower this indicator.
A smaller part of the milk is obtained from cows in the final stage of lactation. The smaller the gap between milkings, the lower the pressure in the udder. But the white nutrient fluid arrives sooner and overall productivity also increases. The short period of storage of milk in the udder contributes to the increase in fat content.
Specialists have developed certain milking rules that should be memorized by all livestock breeders:
- udder washing with warm clean water;
- udder massage stimulates milk flow. Before milking, first rub the right half, then the left. Then they make several compressions, as if pushing the udder up, as a calf does. Before the process is completed, the udder is massaged again, as if driving milk from the ducts;
- milking should take place at the same time, in a constant place;
- after the appearance of the first calf, milking should take place up to four times a day at intervals of seven hours. This avoids pressure in the alveoli in a young cow;
- observance of the order of cows. In general, developed habits should be observed. The cow is very sensitive to any change;
- kind attitude towards the animal, so as not to create stressful situations. During milking, you can not scare her, shout at her or beat her.
Every diligent herd owner or newcomer to the agricultural industry is faced with the problem of choosing an animal. The latter need to remember a few rules that will help you get a good cow that brings good milk yield.
Milk, being an excellent nutritional product for humans, at the same time serves as a good breeding ground for the reproduction of various microorganisms, including pathogens. Therefore, during the process of obtaining milk, dairy farmers must constantly monitor to limit the entry of microbes into the milk. To do this, it is necessary to improve the ways of driving cattle to pasture, maintain the necessary order on the territory of the farm, plant trees and shrubs, keep approaches and entrances to farms in good condition, regularly update disinfection mats and disinfection barriers.
In the barn, manure should be removed in a timely manner, bedding should be changed, disinfection and whitewashing of the walls should be carried out. Cows must be cleaned, and the most contaminated parts of their bodies should be washed with water with the addition of disinfectants. If cows are milked in stalls, then rough and dusty feed should be distributed no later than one hour before milking, followed by airing the room before milking.
In the process of obtaining milk, milkmaids and operators of machine milking cows must strictly observe the rules of sanitation and hygiene. Before putting on the milking machines, the udder of the cows should be thoroughly washed and dried with a thoroughly wrung out hygroscopic cloth, constantly contained in a disinfectant solution.
The first portions of milk must be put into a separate bowl. Microorganisms located on the surface of the teat, bedding and soil, through the teat canal enter the udder. True, as a result of the bactericidal action of the tissues of the udder, a significant part of them die. However, the most resistant forms of bacteria persist. Especially a lot of them in the lower part of the nipple canal. This portion of milk (bacterial plug) must be put into a special mug with a black mesh. The mesh allows you to timely identify diseases of the mammary gland, since in this case protein flakes and mucus, sometimes blood, secreted by the inflamed udder, will linger on the mesh. Thus, it is possible to prevent the mixing of milk obtained from a sick cow with the total milk yield of the herd, since the impurities of mastitis milk spoil the entire milk yield. Toxins released into milk when cows are sick are not neutralized during pasteurization and can cause human illness with tonsillitis, scarlet fever, as well as toxicosis, allergic conditions and poisoning. Of particular danger is milk from cows affected by staphylococcal mastitis. Milk contaminated with such microflora is culled.
Dairy utensils and equipment for milking, processing and storage of milk can be a significant source of bacterial contamination. Therefore, careful maintenance of equipment, use effective means for its washing and disinfection allows you to get milk High Quality with little bacterial contamination.
Farm staff must strictly observe the rules of personal hygiene. Before milking cows, a milkmaid must put on a clean dressing gown that is not used for any other work, put her hair under a scarf, wash her elbows thoroughly with warm water and soap, and then rinse with a disinfectant solution. Fingernails should be cut short, and if there are wounds and abrasions on the fingers, a moisture-proof bandage should be applied. Persons working with milk at least once a quarter must undergo a medical examination, and once a year be examined for the carriage of pathogens of intestinal infections, helminths and tuberculosis. Newly entering the farm workers should be accepted only upon presentation of a certificate of medical examination and the conclusion about the absence of bacteriocarrier of pathogenic and toxigenic microbes.
Persons who are sick may not be allowed to work with milk. open form tuberculosis, purulent open ulcers, various infectious inflammations of the eyes, etc.
In order to prevent pathogenic microflora from entering the milk, if a dangerous animal disease (foot-and-mouth disease, brucellosis, leptospirosis, etc.) is detected in the herd, it should be immediately isolated from the rest of the herd and urgently reported to the veterinarian. A sick animal is milked last and in a separate bowl. The milk received from him with the total milk yield from the herd is not mixed, but used in accordance with the instructions of the veterinarian or destroyed. The dishes after draining the milk obtained from a sick animal must be thoroughly washed and disinfected. In case of mass diseases of cows with such diseases in which milk can be used as food for people, it is before being sent to dairy plant should be subjected to special heat treatment directly on the farm.
Dangerous sources of bacterial contamination of milk are flies and rodents. On the body and paws of one fly there can be up to 1.5 million microbes, among which there are also pathogens. Therefore, systematic control of flies and rodents by chemical, mechanical and biological means should be carried out on farms.
Water used for washing cows' udders, washing hands, dishes and equipment can also serve as a source of bacterial contamination of milk. To prevent this, only water should be used. drinking quality. In no case should water from contaminated wells and pits located near manure storages, latrines, sewage dumps, or rain water be used on the farm.
To obtain high-quality milk, it is important to follow the rules of milking. When milking by hand, it is necessary to use fist milking, not pinching. During machine milking, overexposure of teat cups on the udder should be avoided, as this can lead to inflammation in the mammary gland. Incomplete milking entails a decrease in the fat content of milk, since part of the milk fat remains in the udder.
The instability of the vacuum regime is also one of the main causes of mastitis. In addition, violation of the regimen leads to rupture of the shells of fat globules, resulting in a decrease in the quality of milk.
The legislation prohibits any additives to milk for any purpose. Milk with the presence of preservative (formalin, hydrogen peroxide, potassium dichromate, chloride preparations, etc.) and neutralizing (soda, alkali, etc.) substances should not be taken to milk processing enterprises. The content of antibiotics in milk is also unacceptable, since almost all of them are allergens. Heat treatment usually does not destroy them, and, therefore, does not reduce their negative effect. The indiscriminate intake of antibiotics in the human and animal body contributes to the rapid formation and spread of antibiotic-resistant races of bacteria. Therefore, in the treatment of sick animals, especially mastitis, as well as the addition of premixes containing antibiotics to feed, appropriate instructions should be followed.
Zootechnical and veterinary specialists must strictly observe established rules, terms and methods of processing animals. This should be taken into account in each specific case. special instructions and recommendations. It is also necessary to comply with the quarantine terms for grazing and feeding grasses from meadows and pastures after their treatment with chemicals.
Dairy enterprises should not accept milk with a rancid, musty aftertaste, a pronounced smell and taste of onion, garlic and wormwood. Such milk is not suitable for the production of high quality dairy products. In this regard, from the diet of lactating cows, it is necessary to exclude feeds that adversely affect the quality and technological properties of milk. They must not be accidentally eaten by animals. It is important to carry out work to improve the botanical composition of grasses on pastures.
It is also known that when animals eat herbs of the ranunculus family, milk develops a red tint and an unpleasant taste, horsetail - a bluish color (and it quickly turns sour), sorrel sour - a sour taste, rapid clotting. The cream obtained from such milk does not churn well into butter.
When cows are kept on cultivated pastures, the quality of milk depends on soil and climatic conditions, the botanical composition of grass mixtures, the vegetation phase of plants, the dose of mineral fertilizers, irrigation and other agrotechnical measures. Legume-grass mixtures are more balanced and biologically complete for dairy cattle than cereals, due to the increased content of sugar, essential amino acids, calcium, phosphorus, trace elements and other nutrients. When an increased dose of nitrogen fertilizers is applied to cereal pastures, the content of dry matter in the grass decreases. Grazing of cows on cereal pastures with an excessive dose of nitrogen fertilizer negatively affects the course of microbiological processes in the rumen, the coefficient of use of feed nitrogen for the formation of milk decreases, its chemical composition and technological value deteriorate. When cows are fed bean-grass, the biological value of milk increases. Therefore, the correct use of green fodder in combination with others, in particular with concentrates, contributes to the production of high-quality milk with good technological properties.
In winter, hay is a good source of nutrients for dairy cows. It helps to normalize digestion and produce high quality milk. Briquettes and granules serve as valuable feed for cows in winter. However, it should be borne in mind that an increased content of grass meal pellets or other finely ground roughage and concentrates in the diet will change the processes of ruminal digestion, lead to excessive formation of propionic acid in the rumen and a decrease in acetic acid, and this leads to a decrease in fat content and an increase in the amount of non-protein nitrogenous substances. in milk.
Dairy feeds are root and tuber crops rich in easily digestible carbohydrates (sugar and starch). However, their excess in the diet leads to a decrease in the fat content of milk, a deterioration in its taste and technological properties. Therefore, they should be fed in the recommended amounts in combination with hay, haylage and silage.
You can not feed excessive amounts of tops or silage from it, fodder cabbage, swede, turnip, otherwise the milk will acquire a specific taste, it will reduce the content of fat and protein.
It should be remembered that an excess of concentrated feed in the diet of cows (more than 400 g per 1 kg of milk) has bad influence on animal health and milk quality. Especially adversely affects the excess of cakes and meals.
The lack of energy in the diet not only reduces milk yield, but also negatively affects the content of fat and protein in milk and the quality of dairy products. An excess of non-protein substances, including synthetic nitrogenous substances (urea, etc.), is also unacceptable.
To ensure the desired mineral composition of milk, and, consequently, its good taste and technological properties in the production of cheese, condensed milk and other canned milk, the diets of cows must be balanced in terms of macro- and microelements and vitamins. Vitamin deficiency is eliminated by feeding appropriate feeds and supplements.
An important condition for obtaining high-quality milk is strict observance of the daily routine. It is also necessary to correctly use various odorous substances, lubricating oils, etc. For example, the treatment of udder teats with an antiseptic emulsion or vaseline oil can be carried out only after cows have been milked.
Milk adsorbs foreign odors and keeps them firmly. At the same time, its hygienic and technological properties are reduced. This must also be taken into account when organizing feeding and maintenance, as well as when milking and transporting milk.
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The mammary gland secretes milk continuously. In the intervals between milkings, it fills the capacitive system of the udder: the cavity of the alveoli, the excretory ducts, the milk channels, the milk passages and the cistern. As the system fills up, the pressure rises and, reaching a certain value (40-50 mm Hg), becomes a factor that inhibits milk formation.
The milk in the udder can be conditionally divided into cisternal, alveolar and residual. Cisternal milk can be obtained by inserting a catheter (metal tube) into a pine cistern before milking; alveolar (located in the ducts and alveoli) is released during milking of this pine or other udder teats; residual milk can be extracted by administering large doses of the hormone oxytocin to the animal. During normal milking of an animal, only cisternal and alveolar milk is milked.
The removal of milk from the udder during milking of a cow is a rather complex process, including neuro-hormonal mechanisms. It involves the nervous system, endocrine glands and udder muscles. In order for their interaction to occur, the cow must be prepared for milking: wash and massage the udder. In this case, the nerve endings of the peripapillary region of the udder and nipples are irritated. Excitation along the nerve pathways reaches the spinal cord. From here, one part of the signals is sent to the brain, and the other to the mammary gland. In response to these signals, the posterior pituitary gland secretes the hormone oxytocin, which appears in the blood after 20-30 seconds and reaches the mammary gland with the blood flow, causing contraction of the muscle cells surrounding the alveoli and small tubules. The alveoli seem to be compressed, the tubules shorten, and their lumen increases. Favorable conditions arise for the release of milk into the ducts of the gland. At the same time, the nipple sphincter relaxes.
When the entire mass of the alveoli is reduced, large milk ducts and cisterns are filled with milk, the pressure inside the udder increases sharply (up to 50-70 mm Hg) and the milk ejection reflex occurs.
The hormone oxytocin is released not only when the udder is irritated. The same effect is caused by the sound of the switched on milking machine, the appearance of a milkmaid and mechanical irritation of the teats during milking. A sharp noise, fright, pain or the appearance of a new milkmaid can slow down the milk ejection reflex, apparently, this is due to increased production of the hormone adrenaline in the body.
The hormone acts for a short time, as it is destroyed by its antihormone. The concentration of the hormone in the blood, necessary for milk transfer, is maintained for 6-8 minutes. During this time, the cow needs to be milked quickly.
When preparing a cow for milking, the milk allowance does not occur immediately. passes certain time until the moment when the response of the body to irritation occurs. This is the latent period of milk production. Usually this period in cows is 40-50s, although in some animals, due to individual features there may be significant deviations. The duration of the latent period of milk production largely depends on the filling of the udder before milking. With strong filling, especially at the beginning of lactation or with long intervals between milkings, it can be 30 seconds, with low milk yield and frequent milkings - more than 1 minute. During lactation, the latent period of milk ejection is significantly lengthened and at the 6-7th month of lactation, as a rule, lasts more than 1 minute.
The process of extracting milk from the udder itself has 3 distinct phases. This is due to the nature of the change in pressure inside the udder under the action of the hormone oxytocin and the milk in the gland. In accordance with the change in pressure inside the udder, the rate of milking also changes, or, as it is also called, the rate of milk ejection.
With machine milking, all these phases of milk flow are clearly visible through the sight glass and the milk hose in the milking machine, and the milkmaid has the opportunity to correctly navigate the process of milking a cow: take additional measures to influence the mammary gland and turn off the milking machine in time.
It is impossible to call the milk ejection reflex for the second time in the same milking. This is due to the temporary non-excitability of the tissues, which occurs after a strong excitation during the period of the previous milking (rest phase). In practical terms, this phenomenon can be observed during the milking of highly productive cows 2-2.5 hours after the main milking. In this case, the rate of milk flow is sharply reduced, and for a more complete extraction of milk from the udder, a long stimulating massage is required during the milking period. However, in this case, up to 40% of milk and 60% of milk fat, which was present in the gland before milking, remains unmilked.
In the first 4 months of lactation, the rate of milk transfer in cows is almost at the same level. With good preparation of animals for milking, it can be more than 2.5-3.0 l / min. average- 1.5-1.8 l/min. However, already at the 6th month, the rate of milk transfer decreases significantly (by an average of 27-38% at intervals between milkings of no more than 12 hours). At the end of lactation, it is almost impossible to induce a full-fledged milk ejection reflex.
Young animals, as a rule, give milk faster and more completely. They also have a much shorter latent period of milk ejection, i.e. the allowance of milk under the action of udder massage occurs earlier than in adult cows. This must be taken into account when organizing the milking process on the farm.
The delay in the start of milking at the onset of the allowance leads to incomplete use of the milk ejection reflex. As a result, a lot of unextracted milk remains in the udder. With frequent repetition, this leads to premature self-starting of cows, as the process of milk formation is disrupted. Violation of the usual milking regimen also contributes to an increase in the amount of residual milk in the udder. All this must be taken into account in practical work.
Features of milking cattle
Milking is the process of obtaining milk from farm animals (cows, goats, sheep, mares, etc.).
In a lactating cow, milk is formed in the udder in the intervals between milkings and is retained in it due to the capillarity of the mammary gland, the special arrangement of the ducts and the presence of sphincters (constrictor muscles) in the nipples. Milking is carried out due to complex milk ejection reflexes. Under the influence of irritation of the nerve endings of the mammary gland during milking, the sphincters of the nipples relax, the smooth muscles of the udder contract, and milk is removed from the tanks and large excretory ducts. After a few seconds, under the influence of the hormone oxytocin, the stellate cells around the alveoli contract, the alveoli shrink, and the milk from them passes into the ducts and cisterns. However, even after thorough milking, a certain amount (10-15%) of milk (residual milk) with a fat content of 9-12% remains in the udder.
In lactating cows, over time, conditioned reflexes of milk release to the environment are formed. The noise of the engine of the milking machine, the appearance of a milkmaid, and other conditioned stimuli cause compression of the alveoli and the release of a hormone from the pituitary gland; Therefore, when milking, it is important to observe silence, to maintain the established order.
The frequency of milking is set so that in the intervals between milkings the udder is filled with milk and milk formation is not inhibited. Usually cows are milked 2-3 times a day, highly productive and freshly calved 3-4 times. Before starting, the number of milkings is gradually reduced.
Cows are milked two and three times a day. With three times milking, in some cases, 10% more milk is obtained than with two times. But this is typical for cows with a small udder capacity. In cows with a large udder capacity, milk yield does not increase in such cases. With a reduction in the number of milkings from three to two, labor costs are reduced by 25-30%.
Compliance with the rules of milking cows helps to obtain maximum milk yield. The milking process consists of the main process and auxiliary operations. In the main process of milking milk from the udder of cows by the apparatus, the operator does not directly participate. Auxiliary operations are divided into preparatory and final, which are performed by the operator on non-automated installations.
There are six preparatory operations: the transition of the operator with the milking machine to the next cow, washing the udder with warm water at 40-45 ° C, wiping it with a towel, massaging the udder, milking the first streams of milk and putting milking cups on the teats. There are also six final operations: the operator's transition to the cow, machine milking, turning off and removing teat cups from the teats, monitoring the condition of the udder, draining milk.
Especially beneficial effect on the completeness of milking and the fat content in milk is udder massage, which increases milk yield by 8-12% and fat content in milk up to 1%. So, in the first portions of milk contains 0.5-0.7% fat, and in the last - 8-12%.
The health status of a cow largely determines its productivity. For example, in case of tuberculosis, the milk yield of cows decreases by 20-35% compared to healthy animals, and in case of brucellosis, by 40-60%. Mastitis, diseases of the limbs, diseases of reproduction, metabolism reduce milk yield by 20-50%.
Machine milking
With machine milking, the most favorable physiological conditions are created for removing milk from the udder: all four parts of the udder are simultaneously milked by the machine.
On tie-down farms, cows are milked in barn stalls using milking machines with a milk line of the ADM-8 type or portable buckets AD-100a, DAS-2B. When using installations with a milk pipeline, the load per operator can be increased to 50 cows.
On farms with loose-box and loose housing on deep litter, cows are milked on machine-type installations with a lower milk pipeline. For milking cows at these installations, special milking parlors are equipped on farms (Figure 1), which can be independent structures adjacent to the premises for keeping cows, or located under the same roof with them. At milking parlors, pre-milking areas are arranged, the dimensions of which depend on the livestock of one section (at the rate of 2.5-3 m 2) per head.
If there are no suitable premises in the barns, then it is necessary to build a new milking area. Its size is determined depending on the number of dairy cows and the duration of milking.
To achieve the continuity of the milking process and more complete milking on modern installations, a mechanized massage of the udder with electronic control is possible.
Nerve receptors in the skin of the udder are irritated through tactile influences, that is, when milking the first streams at the beginning of the process, test milking, washing the udder, manual massage, attaching cups and pulsing the liner during milking. To achieve optimal stimulation, the duration of a certain combination of preliminary operations for at least 60 seconds is necessary. Since all these operations are manual, they need to be reduced in time in order to achieve high labor productivity of milkers with automated milking processes. The resulting deficit in stimulation can only be compensated by increasing the stimulating effect of the pulsating liner and the stimulus function is transferred to the machine. This happens when applying the ACE Pulse method (APF - alternative pulse rate increase). Due to the interval increase in the frequency of pulsation of the teat rubber up to 200 double cycles per minute throughout the entire milking process, intense irritation of the receptors is achieved.
This method makes it possible to distribute tactile stimuli for the entire milking time with the least technical costs and make manual stimulation at the beginning of milking absolutely unnecessary. When using the ACE method, a significant increase in milk yield in cows is achieved, compared with milking machines without machine or without sufficient manual stimulation. The research results are confirmed in practice by an increase in milk yield by 5 - 8%.
Recently, a lot of modern economical equipment for milking cows has appeared on the market. An example is the Milk Master milking machine from De Laval. Used for tethered content. The basis of the design takes into account the needs of both the cow and the milker.
Milking is controlled by the flow of milk from the cow. All cows are different. They require an individual approach. The Milk Master starts in the low vacuum phase with reverse pulsation. This gently stimulates the start of the cow's milk production. As soon as the flow of milk begins to flow, the machine switches to the main milking phase with normal vacuum and pulsation levels in order to milk the milking process as quickly and efficiently as possible. The Milk Master display shows milk yield, milk flow rate or milking time. Four indicator lights show the individual milking phase. The red light on the top cover of the machine starts flashing slowly as soon as the milking of the cow is completed. Information about milk yield and flow rate makes the herd management process more progressive. An unexpected drop in milk yield can be the first signal of the onset of hunting or a symptom of a disease. The information read from the milk yield indicator is a powerful tool for tracking the effectiveness of diet changes at the start of lactation.
The device of automatic detachment of the milking machine facilitates the process of milking. This device is controlled by Milk Master. The red light starts flashing as soon as the cluster is detached from the udder.
Selection and formation of groups of cows for milking on the sites
Cows that meet the following requirements are suitable for milking cows at milking parlors:
They have a tub-shaped, cup-shaped and rounded udder, the bottom of the udder is even, its distance to the floor should be at least 45 and not more than 65 cm;
The length of the teats is from 6 to 9 cm, the diameter in the middle part after milking is from 2 to 3.2 cm, the distance between the front teats is from 6 to 20 cm, between the back, and between the front and rear from 6 to 14 cm;
The quarters of the udder must be evenly developed - the allowable difference in the duration of milking of individual quarters is not more than 1 minute;
The duration of milking a cow is no more than 7 minutes;
The allowable volume of milk after milking should be no more than 200 mg, and no more than 100 ml from a separate quarter.
The “Tandem” installation can be recommended primarily for those farms where there is not yet a herd matched in terms of milking time and milk yield rate. At the same time, in order to achieve maximum productivity on the “Herringbone” installation, cows must be matched according to the rate of milk transfer and productivity.
When transferring animals for milking in the milking parlors from linear milking machines, their accustoming is necessary. Cows are accustomed to the sounds of the milking parlor, the mass of the udder and other technological procedures.
Cows are selected into groups according to their physiological state: new calves (1-3 months after calving), the first half of lactation (3-6 months), the second half of lactation (6 months or more). Groups of queens are formed according to the duration of the milking time and the rate of milk yield. The order of movement of cows for milking should be organized taking into account their physiological state: at the beginning of new calving, then the first half of lactation and after the second half of lactation.
Machine milking technology
When machine milking cows, it is necessary to take into account the process of milk transfer, which is regulated by the nervous and humoral systems of the animal, its conditioned and unconditioned reflexes.
The process of machine milking of cows includes the preparation of the milking machine and the udder of cows for milking, the milking process itself (putting on the milking cups, monitoring the milking process, machine milking and removing the milking cups).
On milking machines such as “Tandem” or “Herringbone”, the udder is washed out of the hoses with a special sprinkler. Along with washing, the udder is lightly massaged, which contributes to a more active milk supply. Thanks to these actions, cows become ready for milk production, which is noticeable by the swelling of the udder teats, which become more elastic and pink. If the milk ejection reflex does not come after washing and wiping the udder, then the operator quickly massages, clasping the individual quarters of the udder with his fingers and stroking them down in the direction of the nipples. In some cows, the milk ejection reflex is elicited only by teat massage. Before putting on the teat cups, one or two streams of milk are removed from each nipple. When milking the first streams, the operator determines the presence of an allowance of milk, the state of the mammary gland, frees the excretory channels from bacteria contained in the first streams in large quantities.
The milking of the first streams of milk is carried out in a special mug with a removable plate or with a dark strainer. This allows you to detect a cow's disease with mastitis (presence of flakes, blood impurities, mucus and other changes in milk). For this purpose, it is advisable to use the Biotest-1 device designed by BelNIIZh, which is based on measuring the electrical conductivity of milk. You can not give the first trickles to the floor, as the milk of sick cows can be a source of infection.
When milking on installations of the “Tandem” or “Herringbone” type, the first streams of milk are given off before washing and massaging the udder. A cow that is found to have swelling, redness, induration, and sores on the udder and teat should not be machine milked. It must be milked by hand in a separate bowl. After that, hands should be thoroughly washed and disinfected.
The towel used for wiping the udder should be washed and boiled. This cow is isolated from the general herd for treatment.
Having prepared the cow, the operator immediately turns on the machine and puts on the teat cups. To do this, opening the milk tap or lowering the clamp on the milk hose, he brings the apparatus under the udder with one hand, and puts the glass on the nipples one by one with the other. To avoid suction, you need to raise the glass up, at the same time bend the milk tube so that air is not sucked into the glass. Long-term air leakage reduces the vacuum in the main pipeline, which worsens the operation of other, already operating devices. When the glasses are put on correctly, no hiss is heard, they must be put on in the following order: near back, far back, far front, near front.
When placed on the nipples, the operator takes the glasses with the right hand, with the thumb and forefinger remaining free. With their help, the nipple is directed to the teat glass. After putting on the cups, the operator must make sure that the machine is working properly and the milk is being intensively milked, only then should he approach the preparation of the next cow.
Maintenance of the sanitary condition of the milking plant and dairy equipment
Sanitization of milking equipment is carried out after each milking by performing the following operations:
Wash the outside of the milking machines with warm water from the sprayer, insert the glasses into the milk heads and prepare all the equipment for washing;
Circulate with hot (60 ± 50C) detergent solution to remove the protein-fat film;
Disinfect in order to destroy pathogenic microflora and reduce bacterial contamination;
Rinse with water to remove detergent and disinfectant residues.
Circulating washing washing - disinfecting solutions is carried out within 10-15 minutes.
In addition to washing and disinfection, milking equipment should be periodically dismantled, washed and cleaned by hand.
When circulating washing, it is necessary to disassemble the corner pipes, the milk collector, the milk counter - once a week, the milking machines - once a month.
To prevent the formation of "milk stone", washing with an alkaline detergent is alternated with an acidic one. In the absence of an acid detergent, milking equipment is washed once a week with 0.1-0.2% solutions of acids (hydrochloric, acetic or sulfuric) for 20-30 minutes.
It is necessary to strictly observe the concentration of detergents, disinfectants and the temperature of water for washing milking equipment, since the use of high concentrations, as well as very cold or hot water, leads to a change in the physical and chemical properties of rubber products and a decrease in milk quality.
Milk cooling baths, milk collection tanks and other containers are manually processed after each use in the following sequence:
a) rinse the inner surface with warm water to remove milk residues;
b) washed with a 0.5% washing solution at a temperature of 45-50ºС using brushes;
c) the remnants of the cleaning solution are washed off with warm water;
d) disinfected with a disinfectant solution;
e) washed with tap water until the disinfectant is completely removed.
When using Desmol as a detergent, additional disinfection is not required.
At least once every two weeks, you should completely disassemble the milking machines, thoroughly rinse and disinfect all its parts, paying special attention to the teat rubber. Rubber parts are checked for their further suitability, then they are kept for 30 minutes in a 1% washing solution at a temperature of 70-80 ° C, after which they are washed with ruffs and brushes and rinsed with hot water.
The remaining parts, immersed in a bath with a hot 0.5% washing solution, are washed with ruffs and brushes, then immersed in clean water at a temperature of 70-80 ° C for 20 minutes. After washing the parts, the devices are assembled and 10 liters of a hot disinfectant 0.1% solution are passed through them.
Once every 6 months, all rubber parts in the apparatus are replaced with new ones, and the removed parts, after thorough disinfection and degreasing, are placed on “rest” in special devices.
When working out milking equipment, it is necessary to pay attention to all nodes of the milk line, the internal surfaces of which are in contact with milk: milk taps, pumps, intake hoses, which must be regularly disassembled and washed with detergent and disinfectant solutions using brushes.
From the action of alkaline detergents on the inner walls of the milk pipeline, the formation of a white coating is possible. To remove it, the milk line is washed with a 0.2% solution of acetic acid or a 0.15% solution of hydrochloric acid.
