Short communication: Effects of pulsation type (alternate and simultaneous) on mechanical milking of dairy goats (II)—Effect of milk pipeline height on the milking efficiency and status of teat-end in Murciano-Granadina goats

Abstract

The aim of this experiment was to determine the effect of alternate and simultaneous pulsation on milking in Murciano-Granadina goats. To this end, four experiments were carried out in Latin square design at two milk pipeline heights (high line and low line) and two stages of lactation (onset and end). For each Latin square, 42 animals were selected and divided into two lots of 21 animals with similar features in terms of parity, machine milk, milking duration and mammary gland health status. Sampling was then carried out to determine the milking efficiency (milk extracted and milking time), teat- end status and variables related to vacuum level in the milking unit, comparing both pulsation types (alternate and simultaneous). Results showed that the use of alternate or simultaneous pulsation presented no relevant differences in milking efficiency or teat-end status after milking at either of the two milk pipelines heights or in the two stages of lactation studied. In low line, no differences were found in the variables related to vacuum level. However, in high line, deeper vacuum fluctuations were observed when simultaneous pulsation was applied. It was concluded that subsequent studies are needed to determine how alternate pulsation affects production and milk composition in the long-term, and whether the deeper vacuum fluctuations observed in high line when applying simultaneous pulsation might affect mammary gland health status.