Efficiency is the key to success in the dairy industry. There are never enough hours in the day to do everything you want to do, so maximizing those hours, minutes and even seconds is the hallmark of a good operation.
Maximizing your operation does not mean hurrying, and it does not mean placing additional stress on your cows. Quite the opposite, really. Your goal should be to improve your animals’ welfare, allowing cows to spend more time being cows (resting, eating, etc.) and less time standing waiting to be milked. In doing so, you will milk more cows.
When I audit farms, I look at four areas for improvement:
- Parlor size and entrance design
- Cow factors
- Human factors (milk harvest technicians)
- Equipment factors
Parlor size, entrance design
The dairy cow’s philosophy is routine. That is what she lives for; that is what life is. In her mind, anything that is different is a threat to kill her – from strange music to lights to a stray cup left sitting at the side of the entrance.
The goal of the parlor is to be a place of comfort and peace for your cows.
- Use efficient cow-handling systems to move cows quickly and calmly into the milking area. This can include proper use of gates, alleys and holding pens.
- Provide a comfortable holding area with proper ventilation and enough space for cows to wait before milking.
- Create vision barriers along the entrance lane to prevent cows from socializing with other cows or seeing something that will make them hesitate.
- Use the same floor material in the entrance lane that you have on the cow deck in rotaries.
- Avoid steps or drastic changes in elevation. Keep the holding area slope to no more than 1.5%.
- Keep the environment consistent.
Cow factors
The cow’s experience moving into and through the parlor is important.
It is not just about keeping cows calm to move and handle them more easily. Stressors can inhibit the release of oxytocin, which can affect how a cow performs in the parlor.
Cows remember, and every time you interact with a cow, you are teaching her. You can teach her to trust you, that you are taking her to a safe place. Or you can hurry her and make her confused and scared.
The experience of being moved into the parlor should be a positive one, where cows are happily anticipating the milking experience. If it is, your cows may already be starting the milk letdown before coming in. However, if they are dreading the unexpected: loud noises, screaming, whistling, banging, hitting, it will hurt your operation.
I recommend a number of tips to improve the cow experience:
- Have them come in naturally. The cows that come in the parlor by themselves have a much better milk letdown than cows that were coerced.
- Keep them clean. The dirtier the cows, the more time to clean them.
- For rotaries, don’t stop the deck for a cow to enter, and don’t allow cows to go around twice.
- With parallels, avoid milking short sides by keeping the number of cows in each pen close enough to have the last group a few cows short but never with only one to two cows.
- Minimize delays due to long unit-on time for one cow. Some cows are really slow milkers due to anatomical problems or genetics. Consider whether those cows should be in the herd, or at least group them together.
Human factors: The milk harvest technicians
The people factor I focus on the most is the milk harvest technicians.
A consistent routine for your cows means having a consistent routine for your technicians. The best routine can vary from operation to operation, but whatever your routine, you must strictly adhere to it. That means not only proper training with new staff, but enforcement of that training and regular re-training to make sure no one develops bad habits.
Too much downtime for technicians in the parlor can cause changes to the routine as people lose and then regain focus. You want enough people to do the job well while minimizing idle time and distractions.
A few other points to consider:
- Start udder prep as soon as the first cow turns into a stall or enters the rotary. Waiting until half of the cows or all cows are loaded will add seconds or even minutes to each turn.
- Avoid delays from attachment of the first unit on a side to the last unit on the same side.
- Think about ergonomics for your technicians. Design workstations and routines to minimize physical strain on workers, reducing fatigue and improving productivity.
Equipment factors
Investing in modern milking equipment that is fast and reliable makes an enormous difference. Automated milking systems, like automated take-offs and post-dipping wands, can help streamline the process and reduce labor costs.
Use equipment properly designed for high-producing cows, such as a claw that creates a stable vacuum at all times. This means less bouncing of the claw and more gentle milking for teat ends. More stable flow of air out of the claw maintains vacuum stability and allows the milk to quickly exit the claw, preventing flooding.
Maintenance of all your equipment is also key to avoid unexpected breakdowns and ensure smooth operation. Ensure the system vacuum is at its recommended setting as well as the claw vacuum level. Different liners will have different recommended settings for best performance as well.
Follow these recommendations:
- Milk hoses that are too long create an uphill milk flow that decreases claw vacuum, and pinch valves that are not moved may create a crease in the milk hose.
- Exchange milk filters at least after every milking or every 300 cows. Clogged filters can cause receivers to flood, trapping the system out. If not changed in a timely manner, they can also decrease milk quality.
Milk meters are a great way to monitor key performance indicators, such as total time for the shift, milk in the first two minutes, average milking time, average flow rate, time in low flow and more.
Reducing the time spent in low flow (less than 2.2 pounds per minute) will decrease the total milking time for an individual cow and avoid discomfort and damage to teat ends caused by exposure to high vacuum levels. This can be controlled by the setting on the automatic take-offs.
Evaluate residual milk after milking, make a change on the settings for the unit to come out sooner and recheck the residual milk. The goal is to have less than 250 to 450 milliliters (8 to 15 ounces) combined for all four teats. If there is no significant change, you did the cow a huge favor by reducing the amount of time with high vacuum in the teat end and she can go back to do whatever she wants.
By evaluating each area of your operation, you can make the best use of your current resources and identify areas for improvement. A comfortable, consistent environment with good routines and well-operating equipment ensures a good milk letdown and high milk quality.
