Oct. 28, 2024
The right fit for every herd
How tailored milking equipment can support animal welfare and farmer comfort
Healthy and happy cows are the key to successful and sustainable milk production. Keeping their cows healthy, therefore, is at the heart of every dairy farmer’s effort. Many factors influence the well-being of a cow, such as proper feeding according to the individual cow’s needs, good housing conditions and fresh air, water and light. But also, the way cows are milked has a huge impact on their health condition. GEA is well known for its Good Cow Milking philosophy and is constantly working to further develop and achieve better results in animal health and milk quality.
The dairy farming business is rapidly changing these days. Volatile milk prices, lack of skilled labor, increasing regulations and unstable weather conditions are just some of the challenges dairy farms face. As a consequence, farms are consolidating and expanding everywhere in the world, as reported over several editions of the International Farm Comparison Network’s Dairy Report. This means farmers are looking for more advanced equipment to increase efficiency and manage their herds in a more profitable and sustainable way.
"The new set-up of the cluster is lighter and more flexible to attach. We have improved the milking and save now more than 10 minutes per shift."
The Ludennecs (father and son)
France
120 cows
The role of animal welfare for sustainable dairy farming
Sustainability in dairy farming is based on a triad made of environmental, social and animal-related aspects. When it comes to the cows, there are different approaches to make sure they are comfortable and stress-free. Starting with proper feeding and keeping the parlor, holding areas and cow bedding clean, good herd management and optimal equipment settings can lead to a healthier and more productive herd. Farms need to ensure the cow is happily doing cow things like resting, eating, drinking water and chewing cud in the free stall or out on the pasture. Happier, healthier cows naturally produce more and better-quality milk and need less vet treatments. Investing in cow welfare equates to a direct investment in the farm’s sustainable future.Milking procedures tailored to the cow’s natural behavior
Modern technology and automation on dairy farms have led to impressive gains in milking systems that are designed to be gentle on the cows, efficient for the farmers and yield high-quality milk in a short amount of time. To keep up cow health and productivity, farms are putting a greater focus on milking cows as efficiently and gently as possible.The traditional way of milking considered to be best for the cows came with low vacuum levels and slow milking procedures but rather heavy clusters (the set of four cups and their assembly that attach to the cow teats). This put a high burden on milkers when attaching clusters up to several hundred times a day.
For a couple years, the trend in milking has swung towards higher vacuum levels and quick but gentle milking. Cows then have more time to relax, eat and drink and lie down for digestion and milk production. And, for both the cow and operator comfort, clusters should be designed as light as possible.
"The new cluster is less bulky and more flexible and thus easier to attach. The small outside diameter fits better to the narrow back teat placement. We experience far less re-attachments and a much quicker milking."
Stuart Rogers (left), farm owner
United Kingdom
240 cows
GEA sets new standards with lightweight milking
The milking process aims at imitating the calves suckling on a cow’s teat as naturally as possible. With a completely new development of shells and liners, GEA is pushing milking comfort into a new dimension. “Lightweight milking equipment is a game-changer. It's easier to handle, which reduces the physical strain on farmers and cows. Plus, it's designed to mimic the natural milking process, which the cows definitely appreciate,” explains Chad Carlson, Global Product Manager for GEA’s liner portfolio. “The calve uses a combination of sucking, or vacuum, and squeezing to massage the teat end, similar to what we are doing with lightweight milking.”Comparing the weight of a complete milking cluster that uses fully composite global shells in combination with the new liners to former clusters using heavy and light stainless-steel shells, the reduction of 725 grams is significant. Depending on number of cows milked and the parlor size, that can be a reduction of several tons of less weight needed to be lifted by the milker per year, a big plus in attracting new staff.
The lightweight cluster also better adapts to the udder shape, rather than pulling it into position. This leads to a slip rate of almost zero when the system is set up correctly, which is much better for teat end health.
Finding the right liner for every herd
Liners play the most important role in keeping teats and udders healthy and providing a good milking experience, as they directly connect to the teat. Customization is therefore of highest importance. One size of liners does not fit all when it comes to milking. Adapting to different teat sizes and udder shapes ensures that each cow is milked as gently and efficiently as possible. Every herd is different, and different breeds also may need different liners, so the selection of the right liner should be done with care."There's a wide variety of liners available, in both silicone and rubber materials,” explains Carlson. “With this new portfolio, we are again focusing on a more modern milking approach that is important for a growing number of farms.”
Every new liner is designed for the best end user experience, with the major end user being the cows in the parlor. Each liner has its own benefits, whether it is focused on more performance or comfortability or adaptability, and the choice often comes down to the specific needs of the farm and their goals. Selecting the right liner is an important decision that can affect milking efficiency, teat health and overall cow welfare.
GEA milking cluster with Global Composite Shell.
GEA offers tools to evaluate each herd with the new SmartForms App and the LinerFinder; these help point to best choice of liner.
But, liners are only part of the overall equation. Once a farmer picks the best liner suitable for the herd based on teat sizes and goals, the next step is to make sure that farm is optimized correctly. GEA’s milking experts provide recommendations for all of GEA liners, first with the Do It Right From the Start Program and then Optimization Checklists for each liner. These programs, documents and trainings focus on topics like teat end vacuum, pulsation parameters and detach to see if the right liner was selected and the system settings were optimized based on the teat end conditions.
Teat end health is vital for the well-being of the cow and the quality of milk. Issues with teat ends can lead to mastitis, which is not only painful for the cow but also costly for the farmer. Proper equipment, maintenance and optimizations are key in preventing these issues and providing the best cow welfare for sustainable dairy farming.
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