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….

Not too long in separation area.

It’s great if you have an extra section where cows are kept and controlled, such as a straw or sand pen for example. Especially if the cows can be easily guided to and from the robot from here. Or to the hoof trimming box.
Yet we often see too many cows that stay too long in this area. It’s really for care cows!
Usually the cows that stay in this (straw) pen are only milked twice a day. It also often happens that the water supply and roughage supply are less generous than in the rest of the barn. Then, for example, they can drink what is necessary but they have to drink a lot, they can eat what is necessary to live but not what they can eat extra.

This is exactly what a cow needs to get healthy, for example to make a good start to the new lactation or to recover.
After all, a cow is a herd animal.

Radio on in the stable?

Radio on in the stable and with the robots gives peace of mind. Quiet music, but always noise, makes the animals less startled by strange noises, strange people, etc.

And cheerful music often makes for a happier farmer.
And cows notice that  !!

Drying off cows earlier?

There are more and more cows that give a lot of milk at the end of lactation.
But there are also cows that give too little per milking at the end of their lactation, or are milked incompletely more often then. Then it might be wise to dry them earlier because it presents a possible risk of an increase in conductivity and cell count.
If the cow does not get an increase in conductivity and somatic cell count at the end, those few liters that are not milked at the end of this lactation will be more than made up in the next lactation!

If they are dry for longer, they must have a ration with low energy, sufficient protein and a high structure content for at least the first month. They want to grow easy and the rumen takes its rest. And it is precisely that rumen that should keep things very active.

Everything to make sure the next lactation is TOP!!

Meadows: Sum: How big should the pasture plots be?
Or how long can cows last with a parcel or part?

If it grows nicely in the spring, it will grow at least 100 kg dm. Per hectare per day.
This decreases further in the growing season, about 80 kg per day and in autumn or during drought it can drop to less than 40 kg per day.
If you do “Standweiden” (on one parcel for a longer time), it is sufficient for grazing when there is 800 – 1000 kg dm. on a hectare. (Is about 10 cm.) Otherwise the last grass will quickly become too long and the cows too selective.

Suppose you have 100 cows and you want them to eat 6 kg per day of grass. That is 600 kg of dm. grass.

You want to let them graze for ten days on that plot. That means 10 x 600 = 6000 kg dm. in total.

You placed them in 1000 kg of dm. grass what was on it.
In those ten days, 80 kg dm. per day also grows = 800 kg
1000 kg present + 800 kg growth = 1800 kg present grass.

When the cows are removed, there may still be 1000 kg dm. per ha. So the growth, 80 kg per day for example, is to eat.
The requirement is 100 cows x 6 kg dm. grass intake x 10 days = 6,000 kg dm.

6,000 kg of grass required divided by 800 yield means that you need 7.5 ha of grassland for this. It is safe to take a little more.

Sum:
100 cows x 6 kg dm. X 10 days = 6000 kg dm.
10 days growth x 80 kg = 800 kg dm. 6000: 800 = 7.5 ha

Your situation:
…… cows x… kg dm. X…. days = ……… kg dm
…. days of growth x.…. kg = …… .. kg. dm. ………: ……… = …… ha

If you do “Roterend Standweiden”, so called “New Dutch Grazing”, or in other words a fresh part of pasture every day, you can start when the grass is slightly higher at, for example, 1500 kg ds. When it is “finished” there is still  600 kg ds. 900 kg has been eaten. An additional 80 kg of growing  is added = 980 grass to eat.
100 cows x 6 kg DM intake = 600 kg DM per day required. 980 kg dry matter per ha crop yield divided by 600 is a bit more than 0.6 ha per day.

So then you need blocks of a bit more than 0.6 ha per day. For a round of “Rotating Stand Grazing” , for example, 15 days: 15 x 0.61 = 9.2 ha. Here too, if possible, take a little more when possible.

Sum:
100 cows x 6 kg DM x 1 day = 600 kg intake: 980 kg grass yield = 0.6 ha per day x number of days = a block of 9.2 ha.

Your situation:
…. cows x… kg DM x 1 day = ……. kg intake:… … kg grass yield =… .. ha per day x …… days = a block of …. ha.

Perhaps it is useful to make an excel for this (with a grazer coach?) And to enter the fixed formulas and numbers and how much additional feed you will have in the barn.

With your growth estimates, this will mean fewer surprises and a more constant supply of grass for the cows.
So grazing more successfully.

Remember that a cow eats about 1 kg per hour. Especially in the evening before sunset and in the morning after sunrise, the cows eat the most.

Robot milkers have no problems with that 😉

See previous Tips about pastures from May 2017 and August 2018.