Effects of low vacuum levels on vacuum dynamics during milking
One of critical points of the milking unit is the short milk tube. Here milk plugs can cause abrupt variations in vacuum which are stressful for the animals. Our trials allowed us to define the effects of the operational vacuum and pulsation on vacuum stability in the short milk tube. Reducing the v...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2010-04-01
|
| Series: | Italian Journal of Animal Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.aspajournal.it/index.php/ijas/article/view/1708 |
| Summary: | One of critical points of the milking unit is the short milk tube. Here milk plugs can cause abrupt variations in vacuum which are stressful for the animals. Our trials allowed us to define the effects of the operational vacuum and pulsation on vacuum stability in the short milk tube. Reducing the vacuum from 42 to 28 kPa did not produce appreciable variations in vacuum fluctuation. It was 9.2 kPa for the low vacuum and 9.8 kPa for the standard vacuum. Changing the pulsation rate from 150 to 120 cycles/min did not modify the vacuum stability in the short milk tube. By contrast, raising the pulsation ratio from 50% to 60% significantly increased the amplitude of vacuum fluctuation in the short milk tube. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1594-4077 1828-051X |