Browsing by Subject "Milking cluster"

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    Investigating dairy cow welfare by optimizing pulsation cycles and improving activity measurements during milking from a technical perspective
    (2016) Blümel, Franziska Elisabeth; Schick, Matthias
    During machine milking, farmers often encounter milking problems even though milking machine constructions generally comply with the required international standards. The first aim of this thesis was to investigate the effect of two different durations of the closing and closed phase (c- and d-phase, respectively) on physical processes in the milking cluster. The second aim was to examine the effect of these c- and d-phases on milk removal and hind-leg activity. It was hypothesized that a prolonged c-phase (i.e. slower liner closing) might be gentler and more comfortable for the dairy cow than a short c-phase (i.e. faster liner closing). Consequently, this would lead to optimized milk removal and calmer dairy cow behavior in the milking parlor. Therefore, dairy cows were confronted randomly with two types of pulsation chamber cycles (Treatments A and B) for 12 milkings. The treatments differed in the durations of c- and d-phases. In Treatment A, the c-phase lasted 70 ms and the d-phase 330 ms, whereas in Treatment B, the c-phase lasted 130 ms and the d-phase 270 ms. Using a vacuum measuring device (MT52, BEPRO AG, Güttingen, Switzerland), measurements were taken during milking proceedings. Milk flow characteristics were recorded using milk flow meters (LactoCorder®, WMB AG, Balgach, Switzerland). Hind-leg activity was recorded during milking using accelerometers attached on the hind-legs (RumiWatch® pedometer, ITIN+HOCH GmbH, Liestal, Switzerland). Treatment B showed the following effects on parameters measured in the milking cluster compared with Treatment A: -Durations of open liner were on average 26.2 ms longer. -Durations of closing liner were on average 23.4 ms longer. -Pressure sum was on average 1 kPa lower. Treatment B showed the following effects on milk flow and hind-leg activity compared with Treatment A: -Cows produced 0.21 kg higher total milk yield. -Peak flow rate was 1.04 kg/min higher. This thesis showed that c-phase durations influence physical processes in the milking cluster and milk flow characteristics. A prolonged c-phase is not only beneficial for dairy cow’s health but also from an economic point of view. Statements regarding welfare improvements are rather difficult to make. In addition to the first and second aim of this thesis, the third aim was to examine the correlations of hind-leg activity with accelerometers attached to the hind-leg and to the milking cluster with direct observations. As restlessness during milking is considered as an important parameter for impairments of dairy cow welfare, a standardized measuring procedure for this behavior may be severe for detection of deficient milking conditions. It was assumed that the milking cluster is set in motion as hind-legs of dairy cows move, because the milking cluster is freely suspended on the cow’s udder. Therefore, an accelerometer attached to the milking cluster may measure the hind-leg activity of the dairy cow indirectly. This method could replace laborious attaching of accelerometers on the hind-legs of dairy cows and provide a standardized on-line measuring procedure. Therefore, measurements with accelerometers on hind-legs of dairy cows and on the milking cluster were taken once during morning and evening milkings for every cow. In addition, direct observations of dairy cows’ motion behavior during milking were made. The differentiation of hind-leg activity took place between active phases and inactive phases. Data from morning milkings were used to create an algorithm to validate data automatically from evening milkings. The correlation measurements of hind-leg activity were as follows: - The algorithm is defined as the number of observations using mean values + standard deviation + 0.2 m/s2. -Correlation “visually counted number of active phases from graphs” with “number of observations calculated with the algorithm from the milking cluster” was 97 % (morning milkings). -Correlation “number of active phases recorded with milking cluster using the algorithm” with “number of active phases using direct observations” was 74 %. -Correlation “number of active phases recorded with the hind-leg using the algorithm” with “number of active phases using direct observations” was 91 %. It was possible to develop a hind-leg activity measuring method, without attaching accelerometers on the hind-legs of dairy cows. With this novel method, costs and labor can be minimized and objective examination of animal behavior can be guaranteed. In a next step, it can be implemented in the milking parlor or in the automatic milking device as a diagnostic tool providing valuable information to the farmer and consultant in a management program.