Tip of the Month – September 2021

Cows losing milk in layingboxes.

Some dairy farms are more or less bothered by milk outlayers.
Then there is (a lot of) milk in the boxes, sometimes even from cows that were milked not so long ago.

What could be the possible causes of this?

Of course the milking technique, the correct puls-rest ratio with pulsations, correct vacuum, good liners and especially not too high milk flow by take-off moment.

It is also important that a cow does not come too late or too early after her previous milking.

When stressed in the milking parlor or milking robot, the cow often does not milk properly.

This can be caused, for example, by bad or slow attaching teats, attached too early or too late (oxytocin), leakage current, too tight in the box, feeding concentrate too short, a restless environment, small waiting area and “struggle” to get to the robot or milking parlor, etc. , etc.

These things are often all tackled, but must be mentioned.

Leaking milk is also hereditary. In certain bulls and cow families with a high milking rate, losing milk when they are laying is more common.

 

Furthermore, a common cause is the box cover.

There are mattresses that get very warm from the cow lying on them. But also in summer when it is warmer, those mattresses are already warm by themselves and when the cow lies on it and is sensitive to lying out milk, this is considerably strengthened and milk loss can be a consequence.

Either hard or no box cover. If the cow lays a bit clumsy, she can also squeeze some milk from the udder in addition to lying out.

With teat top callus, teat points close less well. And teat lock muscles that do not close good enough and not fast enough are literally an open door for bacteria, in addition to letting milk out!

Add to that the fact that milk in the boxes gets dirty quickly and also likes to be visited by flies, and then you know that the risk of infections increases considerably!

 

Furthermore, it appears that of the minerals, especially a Calcium deficiency causes poorer closing of the sphincter muscle around the lock hole of the teat. With Calcium you should pay particular attention to the Calcium / Phosphate ratio 2 : 1 This ratio is necessary for good absorption.

This ratio is also very important during the dry period, but it also deserves attention in (pregnant) young stock.

Zinc is also seen as an important mineral for this, but then you have often already sounded the alarm because of fertility problems, sluggish behavior and dull hair.

Also Magnesium is an important mineral for the (lock) muscles.

Shortages can arise, for example, because roughage is fed from monotonous crops that have been little fertilized, or old or unpalatable batches.

These minerals, including Calcium, can be added during feeding.

Less palatable rations or rumen acidosis can lead to low intakes.

 

It may also be that the need is sufficiently met, but because cows, for example, receive a lot of iron or manganese (via drinking water?) , it is not absorbed sufficiently and we still get into problems….