Recently, a student from the HAS Green Academy examined the door HappyFarmer developed Liners; the HappyLiner with front head aeration Lely Astronaut. Developed by Marte van Hastenberg based on knowledge and years of practical experience as a mechanic and installer of milking robots. Before the HappyLiners went into production years ago, they were extensively tested. The HappyLiners have now become commonplace for a large number of users; time for further research into user experiences. Student Laura Lammers, third-year Livestock Husbandry student at the HAS Green Academy, investigated the benefits of this innovative one Liners with head aeration compared to traditional Liners without head aeration.
Research method
The research was conducted on four dairy farms that switched from traditional dairy farms Liners to the HappyLiner FL-0021 VENTED Liners. Data was collected over a period of 60 days: 30 days before and 30 days after the introduction of the new Liners. The comparison of data includes milking speed, number of milkings, number of failures, number of refusals and dead milking time. The data was analyzed using SPSS to identify significant differences.
Results
The results showed significant improvements in several areas:
- Milking speed: The HappyLiner FL-0021 VENTED Liners increased the milking speed by an average of 0.1 kilograms per minute compared to the Liners without head aeration,
- Dead milking period: The period during which no milk flows, but the Liner is connected, also called dead milking time, reduced by an average of 1.0 seconds per milking.
No significant differences were found in the number of milkings and failures, although trends in the data suggest further optimization is possible.
Discussion and recommendations
Although the results are promising, some limitations were identified. The dairy farms studied were not identical, which may cause variations in the results. In addition, factors such as the condition of the cows and the condition of the cows were not taken into account Liners prior to the switch. For future research, it is recommended to use a larger and more homogeneous sample and to analyze specific groups of cows, such as fresh cows and heifers, separately.
Conclusion
The HappyLiner FL-0021 VENTED Liners offer clear advantages over traditional ones Liners without head aeration. They improve milking speed and shorten dead milking time, which contributes to a more efficient milking process and potentially better teat condition. These findings can help livestock farmers at making informed decisions about the choice of Liners, which can ultimately lead to improved productivity and animal welfare in dairy farming.