Milking parlour Flashcards
how often do cluster liners have to be replaced?
every 2500 uses or 6 months
what is the ratio of the vacuum being on vs off during milking?
2:1 (on:off)
what pressure vacuum in applied during milking?
42-48kPa
how many cows can Staphylococcus aureus spread down during milking through a cluster?
the next 6-8 cows
what are the two types of mastitis pathogen?
environmental
contagious
how can the milking machine spread pathogens from cow to cow?
contamination of liners transferring pathogens from liner onto teat
milk back-flushed upwards into teat canal carrying pathogens with it (spread from one quarter to another)
why may milk be flushed upwards towards the teat during milking?
inadequate vacuums
fluctuating vacuums
blocked air bleeds
what issues can be seen with the vacuum system?
too high (regulator not working…)
fluctuating/inadequate
how does a regulator for the vacuum work?
if the pressure becomes too high it will let a little bit of air into the system to decrease it (hissing noise)
what impact will a blocked air bleed on a unit of the milking parlour have?
flooding of the claw piece as milk won’t be able to drain (possible infection risk)
what impact will a faulty or incorrectly set pulsator have?
not allow teat enough rest to restore circulation leading to blue teats if they are set too fast (potential damage to skin and teat end)
what simple things can be examined on a cluster to assess the quality of them?
air bleed
wear and cleanliness of liner
holes in tubing
how often does a milking parlour legally need to be serviced?
once a year
should farms fore-milk?
it is a legal requirement
what is fore-milking used for?
early detection of mastitis and stimulate milk let down
what are the aims of cleaning teats pre-milking?
decrease environmental pathogens contamination for public health
decrease risk of pathogen spread between cows/quarters
stimulate milk let down
what do you need to make sure of when applying teat disinfectants?
correct concentration
correct contact time
thorough coverage
what are some common disinfectants used in the parlour?
chlorhexidine
iodophors
chlorine dioxide
hypochlorite (irritant)
what happens in the milk ejection reflex?
teat stimulation triggers afferent neural inputs to the hypothalamus which triggers oxytocin release from the posterior pituitary causing contraction of myoepithelial cell in the mammary gland, stimulating milk let down
what are the possible constituents of post-milking teat dips?
disinfectant (iodine, chlorhexidine, lactic acid, chlorine dioxide, ammonium compounds)
emollients
dye
sticking agents
why is loafing time essential after milking?
to allow closure of teat sphincter post milking to prevent environmental infections
how long should loafing time be?
30 minutes
what is the issue with loafing time?
could increase lameness
what is the ideal milking order?
heifers
fresh calvers
high yielders
low yielders
high cell counts
mastitic
what problems are usually seen with regards to washing the milking parlour?
not hot enough water (needs to be over 60 °C)
not enough water (>10L per unit)
