Milking machines work under the principle of vacuuming milk out from cows’ udders. They are designed to suction milk from the udder and deliver it into a jar by applying a steady suction to the breast, as well as a regular squeeze administered outside to the entire breast to sustain flow of blood.
The setup of a milking machine is made up of a piping system that connects several containers as well as other elements, allowing milk and air to flow freely. Because the unit is kept at a pressure, the energies required to transport milk and air through it are generated. In this article, we will discuss the types of milking machines, their basic components and how they work as well as routine procedures before milking.
Table of Contents
Types of Milking Machines
Bucket Milking Machines
They are the most straightforward and cost-effective to set up. Small and medium-sized herds will benefit from this system. Cows are milked on a leveled floor. The machine is placed on a cart with one or two buckets at the bottom. With a single bucket, eight or ten cows are milked at each session, while with the double buckets; sixteen to twenty cows get milked every hour.
Pipeline and Parlor Milking Systems
Pipeline milking system includes a constant pipeline that transports milk directly from the breast to a shared milk container. They’re best suited to large dairy plants with a lot of work to do.Milking parlors typically have parlor systems installed. The machinery is centered, and the animals are milked inside the parlor.
The Basic Components of a Milking System
Milking machine consists of an enclosed vacuum system which consists of reserve tank and a vacuum pump, pipes, vacuum regulator and lengthy pulse tubes. Pulsators change vacuum level surrounding the breast just so milking can take place without fluid accumulation and puffiness in udders. It also has a milking unit which is made up of four cups attached to a hook and a nozzle that allows and shuts down the suction as well as a milk removal system, which moves milk into a storage unit after removal from the milking system.
How Milking Systems Function
Even though the machines are made to mimic calf nursing, machine milking differs from manual milking and calf breastfeeding in some ways. To keep the system fastened to the animal, a steady suction is given to the nipple to produce a differential pressure across the breast vessels. The vacuum clogs the mammary glands and compresses the milk out. A pulse is created by allowing ambient air to compress and ease congestion near the teats terminal ends once every second. This pulsing is beneficial because it rubs, soothes, and protects the teats.
Basic Practices before Milking
Some of the basic practices include confining the cows to be milked at the milking site carefully and politely. Make sure all of your materials and machinery are generally in clean functioning order. Before you begin milking, properly clean your hands with warm soapy water. After cleansing and massaging the cow’s teats, dry the teats.
Conclusion
Milking machine is essential equipment, but most especially on large scale farming. It’s important to know the working of the machine, the basic components as well as the types of the machines. Additionally, one should perform the routine procedures such as hand washing before handling the machinery. In need of feed chopper, check silage chopper.
