Optimal Number of Clusters per Milker |
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| Institution: | 1. Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4;2. Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1675 Observatory Dr., Madison 53706;1. Institute of Medical Informatics, University of Münster, Germany;2. Department of Information Systems, University of Münster, Germany;3. Faculty of Health Care, University of Applied Sciences, Krefeld, Germany;4. Competence Center Chronic Pruritus, Department of Dermatology, University of Münster, Germany;1. Department of Life and Food Science, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, 080-8555 Japan.;2. Tokachi Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives, Obihiro, 080-0022 Japan.;3. Field Center of Animal Science and Agriculture, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, 080-8555 Japan.;4. Holstein Cattle Association of Japan, Hokkaido Branch, Sapporo, 001-8555 Japan. |
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| Abstract: | Milking is a very time-consuming task and many dairy farmers increase the number of clusters to increase the milking capacity. However, the introduction of additional clusters only reduces the milking time as long as the milker has idle time during milking. In the present research, the influence of the number of clusters on the milker's idle time was studied by models based on observed working routine, duration of machine milking times and detailed time studies of milking on 13 commercial dairy farms. According to the results obtained, one milker is fully occupied when milking in a stanchion barn with seven automatically removed clusters, and when handling ten clusters in a stanchion barn where the working conditions on milking have been improved by a rail-milking system. If milking is performed in a herringbone milking parlour, one milker is fully occupied when handling 18 clusters. As the optimum number of clusters is very dependent on the milking method and the machine milking time, the investment in new milking equipment should be based on a model calculation using the specific milking conditions for the farm. |
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