Dairy Farm Special Edition for Milking Parlors/ Liners and teat health,
The Liner is the only component of the milking machine that comes into contact with the caw’s teat . therefore, the liner in THE KEY component in the process of milking cows quickly , gently and completely. Here we try to give some notes to the farmers choose and use liners that will improve milk harvesting on their farm. The time and the money spent in careful selection and maintenance of the right liners is almost always a cost effective investment.
Most people would not drive their car or tractor once the tread on the tires becomes worn. They know that worn tires are dangerous, increase the likelihood of having an accident and reduce the handling performance and efficiency of their vehicle. However, there is another piece of rubber on a dairy farm that is often not treated with such respect. The milking liner, which is ultimately the final point of contact between the sensitive teat tissues of the cow and the milking machine is frequently not changed when worn and remains un-changed as the performance of the liner starts to decline.
In the EU, the recommendation is that liners should be changed every six months or after milking 2500 cows (whichever is sooner). This can be easily calculated by multiplying the number of milking cows by the milking frequency and then dividing this figure by the number of milking clusters. This gives the number of cows milked per liner per day. You can then divide 2500 milking by this number to give you the recommended change frequency in days. In the USA, where the formulation of the rubber compound contains less carbon black, liners require changing after milking around 1200 cows.
Result As a Liner Age
There has been considerable research carried out looking at what happens to the liner and it’s performance as it starts to age. These researches carried out some on US formulation liners ,while other studies examined EU formulation liners. Therefore, although the trends are similar, the actual number of milking where measurable differences in performance can be seen will vary between continents.
- The aging liner produced a decreased peak milk flow rate,
- increased vacuum fluctuations,
- increased milking duration
- decreased mouthpiece chamber vacuum.
- a small but consistent trend in decreased average milk flow rate as the liner aged.
- At a farm level, this would manifest itself as slower milking, longer unit on time
- increased liner slippage.
- as the liner moves past 2500 milking there is a reduction in the average and peak milk flow rates
- as well as the liner milking more slowly, which will extend milking, the aged liner is also less efficient at harvesting all the available milk
- . Strip yields, or milk remaining in the udder after completion of milking, increases
- increase in the number of discolored teats when the unit was removed.
Liner slippage is a known risk factor for new intermammary infections and every effort should be made to reduce the incidence. As well as a reduction in milking performance, there are subtle changes in the composition of the rubber. Butterfat tends to be absorbed into the rubber material and there is evidence that Calcium is deposited on the liner surface. The internal surface of the liner becomes rougher as the liner ages. The aggressive cleaning regimes in modern dairies use alkali and acid sanitizers’ and high temperature cleaning, all of which leads to denaturing of the rubber compound. The regular opening and closing of the liner during the pulsation cycle will result in the liner barrel becoming misshapen while the liner mouthpiece becomes distended leading to a less efficient seal and lower mouthpiece vacuum. In summary, a reluctance to change milking liners at the appropriate interval can be false economy. It can lead to slower milking, longer milking sessions and increased liner slippage. The internal surface of the liner becomes harder to clean, increasing the risk of the transmission of mastitis pathogens and cleaning related quality problems.
Most sensible people would not put their family at risk by driving with worn tires – perhaps we should give the dairy herd the same consideration!
So to save money, keep an eye on udder health, inspect your equipment regularly and change the liners as recommended!
Please share us about your
Number of caw ?
Daily Milking?
Number of Milking Point?
The last date you changed your liners?
F Then we able to inform you the date you have to change your liners and improve your herd health.
We are offering you the most suitable liners based on your caws, and system in the best prices.
Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram : +989122331204
Resources: Milkrite R&D, Boumatic R&D and University.