• 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.

• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.43-51
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• 2006

An experiment was conducted to examine how the response of dairy cows to a change from twice to thrice-daily milking is affected by deficiencies in the dietary supplies of three amino acids, His, Met and Lys. The amino acid deficiencies were obtained by feeding the cows a diet of grass silage and a cereal-based supplement containing feather meal as the sole protein supplement. Taken overall, the results show that when cows were given the feather meal diet, even though dietary ME was in considerable excess, a deficiency of specific amino acids prevented any increase in milk yield in response to increasing the frequency of milking from twice to thrice daily. The results of half-udder milking showed that when cows consumed the diet deficient in amino acids, milking one half of the gland more frequently reduced the secretion of protein and lactose by the control gland. Neither MBF nor the ratio of 3-MH/creatinine in urine was affected by thrice-daily milking. The present results go a stage further in showing that, against a background of insufficient dietary amino acids, the stimulus of thrice-daily milking is not sufficient to induce a measurable change in the partition of amino acid use between body and udder.