Bulletin of the IDF N° 396/2005: Evaluating Milking Performance

Publication description

Overview of commonly-encountered problems in machine milking of cows and guidelines for methods for evaluating the milking installation, its operation and the interaction between equipment, cow and operator based on recent experience of dairy advisers, udder health specialists and milking machine technicians. Suggests meas-urements to quantify aspects of milking performance with a view to recommendations concerning the milking process and determining whether measures introduced have had an effect (102 references)

Keywords: ACR, automatic cluster removal, bovine, cow behavior, cow cleanliness, cow handling, cow preparation, liner, mastitis, milking equipment, milking routine, over-milking, pulsation, pulsators, SCC, somatic cell count, Streptococcus, sub-clinical mastitis, teat cleaning, teat condition, teat end,teatcup, udder cleaning, vacuum level

Based on the 4th IDF International Mastitis Conference recently held in Maastricht, The Netherlands, a complete overview of the current knowledge in the field of mastitis is now available.