• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.725-730
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• 2003

This study was conducted to evaluate the adequacy of an alternative a.m.-p.m. testing scheme for milk yield in comparison with the official test method based on weighing two milkings within 24 h. A total of 8,309 p.m. milking weights and 6,767 a.m. milking weights from 72 Holstein cows raised at N.L.R.I. were collected between October 2000 and November 2001. Ratios were computes for daily milk yield to a.m. and p.m. milking weights(direct yield ratios) and ratios of a.m. and p.m. milking weights to daily milk yield (inverse yield ratios). Analysis of variance indicated that the milking interval is the most important source of variation for yield ratios. Adjustment factors for estimating daily milk yield from single milking weights were derived through regression analysis of direct and inverse yield ratios on the length of the milking interval. Daily milk yield was estimated more precisely and accurately when adjustment factors were used than when single milking weights were doubled. In conclusion, alternative recording of a.m. and p.m. milking weights led to reliable estimates of milk yields.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.58 no.2
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• pp.5.1-5.9
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• 2016

Background: The milk yield can be affected by the frequency of milking per day, in dairy cows. Previous studies have shown that the milk yield is increased by 6.25 % per lactation when the milking frequency is increased from 2 to 3 times per day while the somatic cell count is decreased. To investigate the effect of milking frequency (3X vs. 4X) on milk yield and it's genetic parameters in the first and second lactations of the Iranian Holstein dairy cows, a total of 142,604 test day (TD) records of milk yield were measured on 20,762 cows. Results: Heritability estimates of milk yield were 0.25 and 0.19 for 3X milking frequency and 0.34 and 0.26 for 4X milking frequency throughout the first and second lactations, respectively. Repeatability estimates of milk yield were 0.70 and 0.71 for 3X milking frequency and 0.76 and 0.77 for 4X milking frequency, respectively. In comparison with 3X milking frequency, the milk yield of the first and second lactations was increased by 11.6 and 12.2 %, respectively when 4X was used (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Results of this research demonstrated that increasing milking frequency led to an increase in heritability and repeatability of milk yield. The current investigation provided clear evidences for the benefits of using 4X milking frequency instead of 3X in Iranian Holstein dairy cows.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.1093-1098
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• 2017

Objective: The aim of the current study was to describe the relationship between milk yield and lactation number, stage, length and milking frequency in Korean Holstein dairy cows using an automatic milking system (AMS). Methods: The original data set consisted of observations from April to October 2016 of 780 Holstein cows, with a total of 10,751 milkings. Each time a cow was milked by an AMS during the 24 h, the AMS management system recorded identification numbers of the AMS unit, the cow being milking, date and time of the milking, and milk yield (kg) as measured by the milk meters installed on each AMS unit, date and time of the lactation, lactation stage, milking frequency (NoM). Lactation stage is defined as the number of days milking per cows per lactation. Milk yield was calculated per udder quarter in the AMS and was added to 1 record per cow and trait for each milking. Milking frequency was measured the number of milkings per cow per 24 hour. Results: From the study results, a significant relationship was found between the milk yield and lactation number (p<0.001), with the maximum milk yield occurring in the third lactation cows. We recorded the highest milk yield, in a greater lactation length period of early stage (55 to 90 days) at a $4{\times}$ milking frequency/d, and the lowest milk yield was observed in the later stage (>201 days) of cows. Also, milking frequency had a significant influence on milk yield (p<0.001) in Korean Holstein cows using AMS. Conclusion: Detailed knowledge of these factors such as lactation number, stage, length, and milking frequency associated with increasing milk yield using AMS will help guide future recommendations to producers for maximizing milk yield in Korean Dairy industries.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.309-314
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• 2006

The present investigation was undertaken to study the milkability characteristics of Holstein cows. Out of 6,660 initial records 4,607 records were finally included in the analysis after deleting some records with an abnormal range of values for the traits considered. These 4,607 Holstein cows belonged to a total of 122 herds located in a province in Korea. The 'LactoCorder' instrument was used to electronically record the milkability traits at the milking parlor. A total of 19 traits were studied which were broadly classified into milk yield, milking speed, milking time and the electrical conductivity related traits. The SAS 9.1 statistical software was used to carry out analyses. The average maximum milk flow per minute was 3.21 kg/min, while the average milking speed during the main milking process (DMHG) had a mean value of 2.30 kg/min. The total milk yield was 14.14 kg, 62% of which was milked during the first three minutes of the milking. The average total milking time was 8.23 min. Among the three phases of the main milking process, the time of stable milk flow had the longest time (2.97 min) followed by the time at the decline phase (2.62 min). The average time taken to reach the plateau phase was 1.08 min, which can still be reduced further through improved managemental practices. Among milk yield traits, milk yield during the first two (MG2) and three (MG3) minutes of milking had high positive correlation with milking speed traits and negative correlations with almost all the milking time traits except time of incline in milk flow from 0.5 kg/min till the attainment of the plateau phase (tAN). Milking speed traits had negative correlations with total milking time, time at main milking process, time at plateau and with the time at decline. Since there was medium to high negative correlation between the milking speed and the time at plateau, there is a need for selection of cows which have intermediate milking speed so that it could require less milking time and also the optimum (higher and longer) plateau time. Proper pre-stimulation and avoiding over milking will help in further reducing the milking time and thus will add to the net profit of the farmer.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.29-36
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• 2009

The authors of this study have developed a robot milking system composed of a multi-articular manipulator, a teat-cup attachment system, and an image processing system. In order to verify the efficacy of this system, we have conducted a performance analysis and measurement experiment of milk yield, using dairy cattle. It was concluded that teat recognition using the image processing system, teat-cup attachment, and detachment system did not binder milking. The milking yield of the robot milking system was analyzed based on a lactation curve. As a result, it was determined that the use of a robot milking system had no significant effects on milking yields. The robot milking system described in this study is designed specifically with a focus on teat-cup attachment and detachment performance, as well as the effect of these factors on milking yield. In the future, in-depth studies regarding the washing of the teats prior to milking, teat massage, pre-treatment and post-treatment processes after milking, and disinfection processes shall be conducted, in order to render this system feasible for use in an actual milking parlor.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.919-924
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• 2005

This study was carried out to estimate the effects of parity, milking time, milking interval and days in milk(DIM) on variation in milk yield between consecutive milkings(am to pm to am), morning and evening milk yield and its components, somatic cell counts(SCS), milking duration, milk flow rate and peak milk flow in Holstein dairy cattle. Records from one hundred and twenty two heads of Holstein cattle at National Livestock Research Institute, Korea were used for this study from July 1 to August 8, 2005. The experimental herd had average 1.6$\pm$0.9 parities, 199.8$\pm$109.1 DIM and 12.26$\pm$4.06kg milk yields at each milking. Milking yield, percent milk fat and SNF, milking duration and average milk flow were significantly varied by parity, milking time and DIM. Percent milk protein and lactose were varied by parity and DIM, however SCS and average milk flow were affected by parity and milking time. Milking interval significantly affected the consecutive, morning and evening milk yield and average milk flow. However, MUN was not affected by parity, milking time, DIM and milking interval. Milk yield was decreased with increasing parity. Milk yield in the morning was higher than that of in the evening. Milk yield between consecutive milking was not affected by parity, however, affected by milking time. Percent milk Fat, SNF and SCS were higher at in evening milk than those of in morning milk. Milk protein, lactose, SNF, SCS, milking duration and peak milk flow rate were influenced by parity. This study suggested that milk yield variation between consecutive milking, milking flow rate, and milking duration could be important traits for enhancing Holstein cattle productivity however, and more study is needed to estimate genetic parameters for such traits.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.489-500
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• 2013

Daily milk yields on test days were estimated using morning or afternoon partial milk yields collected by official agencies and the accuracy of the estimates was determined. Test-day data for milk yields consisted of 3,156,734 records of AM/PM partial milking measurements of 255,437 milking Holstein cows from 3,708 farms collected from December 2008 to April 2013. A linear regression model (LRM) was applied to estimate daily milk yields using alternate AM/PM milk yield records within lactation stages, milking intervals, and parities on every daily milk yield. The alternate statistical approach was a non-linear hierarchical model (NHM) in which Brody's growth function was implemented by reflecting an animal's physiological milk production cycle. When compared with LRM, daily milk yields predicted by the NHM were assumed to be functionally related to day in milk (or lactation) stage, milking intervals, and partial milk yields. Since the results were in terms of accuracies based on comparisons of different statistical models, accuracies of estimates of daily milk yields by NHM were close to those determined by the LRM. The average of these accuracies was 0.94 for AM partial milk yields and 0.93 for PM partial milk yields for first calving cows. However, the accuracies of AM/PM milk yield estimations from cows under a calving stage higher than the first parity were 0.96 and 0.95, respectively. Correlations between the estimated daily milk yields and the actual daily milk yields ranged from 0.96~0.98. These accuracies were lower for unbalanced AM/PM milking intervals and the first calving cows. Overall, prediction of daily milk yields by NHM would be more appropriate than by LRM due to its flexibility under different milk yield-related circumstances, which provides an idea of the functional relationship between milking intervals and days in milk with daily milk yields from statistical viewpoints.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.487-492
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• 2006

This study estimated characteristics and genetic parameters for milking traits in Holstein dairy cattle. Daily records (12,561) were available from a hundred fifty four lactating cows with sixty six sires at National Livestock Research Institute from November, 2005 to April, 2006. The cows were fed same rations, and were milked twice daily using milking parlour equipped with Alpro-system?? to collect milking records automatically. The experimental cows have averaged 1.9 parities, 139.7 days in milk, and 13kg milk yield per milking. Average milk flow was 64% of peak milk flow. Milking duration, peak milk flow, average milk flow, and milk yield per milking were 5.57±1.67 minutes, 3.58±0.79kg/minute, 2.28±0.51kg/minute, and 13.02±4.09kg, respectively. All traits in the morning milking were higher than those of in the evening milking, and were also increased with parity. Heritabilities for milking duration, peak and average milk flow, and milk yield per time were 0.49, 0.70 0.58 and 0.36, respectively. The genetic correlations of milking duration with peak milk flow, average milk flow, and milk yield per time were 0.48, 0.54, and 0.41, respectively. The correlations of milk yield per milking with peak milk flow and average milk flow were 0.23 and 0.30, respectively. In conclusion, milk flow was increased with milk yield; however milk flow was opposite relationship with milk duration. Further studies are not only necessary to warranty genetic parameters, but pre-installation of automatic recording system to collect daily milking record is also necessary.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.471-476
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• 1995

The relationship between udder maximum capacity (36-h accumulated milk yield) and the response of dairy cows (average producers) to thrice-daily milking was studied in 25 Friesian and 15 Jersey cows using the technique of half-udder study. Maximum half-udder capacity (acual yield) as well as whole udder capacity (estimated by udder measurements) was not altered significantly after 12-day thrice-daily milking period compared with a similar twice-daily period, although there was a positive response to increased milking frequency on secretion rate during this period. No effect of breed, season of the year or stage of lactation was observed on the above relationship. Hours-worth of capacity was higher with increased milking frequency, with Jersey than Friesian. These results suggest that udder capacity is not a limiting factor in increased milk production.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.587-591
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• 2014

Automatic milking systems (AMS) rely upon voluntary cow traffic (the voluntary movement of cattle around a farm) for milk harvesting and feed consumption. Previous research on conventional milking systems has shown differences between dairy cow breeds for intake and milk production, however, the ability to manipulate voluntary cow traffic and milking frequency on AMS farms through breed selection is unknown. This study investigated the effect of breed (Holstein Friesian versus Illawarra) on voluntary cow traffic as determined by gate passes at the Camden AMS research farm dairy facility. Daily data on days in milk, milk yield, gate passes and milking frequency for 158 Holstein Friesian cows and 24 Illawarra cows were collated by month for the 2007 and 2008 years. Illawarra cows had 9% more gate passes/day than Holstein cows over the duration of the study; however, the milking frequency and milk yield of both breeds were similar. Gate passes were greatest for both breeds in early lactation and in the winter (June to August) and summer (December to February) seasons. These findings highlight an opportunity to translate increased voluntary cow movement associated with breed selection into increased milking frequencies, milk production and overall pasture-based AMS performance.