The environment and its impact on milk quality

PARAMETERS IN MILK QUALITY AND MASTITIS

Milking is a crucial daily process on dairy farms across the world, with the milking routine being the most important environmental influence on the teat end and on milk quality. The role of milking procedures is often overlooked in dairy management. A sound milking procedure will increase milk production, produce cleaner milk, reduce the spread of mastitis, increase the milking equipment’s efficiency, reduce milking time and increase the net income of the dairy herd.

PREMILKING PROCEDURES

Daily milking is an important area of herd management and could probably be considered the most important five minutes in milk production. Correct milking procedures should be developed into routine practices that are followed consistently by all milkers regardless of time and schedule. Dairy cows are creatures of habit and respond favorably to a consistent and systematic approach to milking. Cows also milk faster and more completely in a relaxed environment. Oxytocin release can be inhibited in stressful situations and the inhibition is associated with high levels of β-endorphins (Bruckmaier et al., 1993). A pleasant atmosphere in the milk barn is conducive to fast, efficient milking. A milking parlor is no place for clubs, sticks and whips. A series of steps are required to correctly prepare the cow for milking. These steps will clean the udder and cause milk let-down to occur.

The premilking routine is an essential part of a successful milking procedure of dairy cows as it has a direct effect on milk quality, proper milk let-down, mammary health and milking efficiency.

3 The milking routine and its effect on milk quality

• To prime the mammary gland and increase stimulation prior to attaching the milking unit • To detect clinical mastitis

The premilking procedure typically involves the following steps:

DISINFECTION OF THE TEATS

The penetration of mastitis-causing organisms into the mammary gland through the teat canal leads to new intramammary infections. The pathogen concentration in or near the teat orifice has a major influence on the rate of new intramammary infections (Mein et al., 2004). Sanitizing teat ends helps to remove pathogen sources such as manure and mud and will lead to a significant decrease in the concentrations of pathogens on the liners that could be transferred to other cows milked by the same milking unit (Fig. 1).

The removal of mastitis-causing organisms during milking will significantly reduce the risk of new infections.

Except in the case of Automated Milking Systems (AMS), the premilking routine is typically performed manually. The objectives of the premilking procedures are: • To clean and sanitize the teats

Figure 1. Predipping the teat ends will reduce the number of mastitiscausing pathogens.