More milk flow, fewer refusals, less downtime.
It all starts with four pieces of rubber, silicone, or sometimes a bleed hole pin.
Fast, gentle, and complete milking: that's what it's all about. Honestly, the condition of your liners matters more than most dairy farmers realise. A worn liner costs you milk flow, causes udder irritation, and sooner or later triggers an alarm at the worst possible moment. Below is the routine that prevents that — plus what you need to do it.
Start clean, work clean
Before you replace or inspect anything: let the robot run a wash cycle first and rinse with cold water. Especially the teat cups, cup cords, and duplo tubes. It's more hygienic, you spot damage more easily, and you're not working with your hands in milk residue.
Silicone or rubber: when do you replace?
Both work well, but the service life differs considerably:
- Silicone liners — on average around 10.000 milkings.
- Rubber liners — around 2.500 milkings.
Your management system will notify you when it's time. Replacing them? Reset the counter straight away, otherwise you'll quickly fall behind. Milking too long on old liners means reduced milk flow, vacuum loss, and irritated teats — and that shows up in your somatic cell count.
If your cows are slow to let down, a VENTED liner with head venting is worth considering. Not sure whether to choose rubber or silicone? We've laid out the difference here.
Tip: buy your liners in bulk for the year. With a bundle of 25 sets you're covered for a year and save 10%. No more putting it off because the box is empty.
The bleed hole: twice a day, thirty seconds
This is the smallest job with the biggest impact. A blocked bleed hole causes a higher dead milking time (DMT), attachment problems, and slower milk let-down. Check them twice a day with a bleed hole pin. While you're at it, check your duplo tubes for cracks and discolouration.
Duplo tube covers and cup cords: small part, critical alarm
Duplo tube covers prevent your tubes from tangling or bursting — exactly the kind of fault that makes your phone ring at three in the morning. The plastic itself is tough, but keep it clean: dirt in that area is a breeding ground for bacteria.
The cup cords keep the cups in position during attachment and retract them after milking so they don't touch the floor. Check them at least once a week. Do you graze, or use sand as bedding? Check more often — those conditions eat through cords quickly. If conditions are really tough, cup chains are a more durable option.
Your daily round in brief
- Twice a day: clear the bleed holes with a pin, visually check liners and teat cups
- Daily: clean cups, duplo tube covers, and cords
- Weekly: check cup cords for wear, check milk filters stock levels
- On notification: replace liners and reset the counter
- Monthly: compare DMT differences between the four cups in your robot report — that's where you spot a problem before you notice it in the tank
Five minutes a day. That's the entire investment. And it pays for itself in milk quality, udder health, and robots that keep running.
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