Lactive activities and the process of milking of first-calf cows using robotic milking

Abstract

Studies have been conducted to assess the lactation productivity of first-calf cows of Kholmogory breed of Tatarstan type using robotic milking systems. The following changes in the amount of milking over the course of 10 months of lactation were observed: during the first month, the cows were milked the least number of times, which was 75, or 2.4 times per day. During the second month, they were milked 86 times (2.8 per day). By the 4th month, milking reached a peak of 93 times (3 per day). By the 5th month, a decline was observed (by 11 % compared to the 4th month). The average number of milking times per day was 2.8 ± 0.05 times. The amount of milking is closely correlated with milk productivity: twicemilked cows had an average productivity of 15.3 kg, 3 times – 19.0 kg, and 4 times – 27.0 kg (r = 0.69). The milking robot spent approximately 108 seconds, or 29 % of the time spent in the milking box, on preparation activities, including: udder cleaning, 39 seconds; scanning the position of the utter, 21 seconds; and connecting milking cups, 48 seconds. Lactation took most of the time, namely 251 seconds, or 66 %. The peak milk production takes place during the second month of lactation, 681.3 kg. By the third month, a decline was observed by 4.8 %, to 648.1 kg. The maximum decrease in milk production by 12.4 % occurred between the 5th and 6th month of the tested lactation period.