Recently a student from the HAS Green Academy investigated the HappyFarmer developed Liners; the HappyLiner with head ventilation for 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 tested extensively. The HappyLiners have now become a standard for a large number of users; time for further research into user experiences. Student Laura Lammers, third-year student of Livestock Farming at the HAS Green Academy, investigated the advantages of this innovative Liners with head aeration compared to traditional Liners without head ventilation.
Research method
The study was conducted on four dairy farms that switched from traditional Liners to the HappyLiner FL-0021 VENTED Liners. Data was collected over a 60-day period: 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 milking speed by an average of 0.1 kilograms per minute compared to the Liners without head ventilation,
- Dead milk period: The period when no milk flows, but the Liner connected, also known as dead milking time, decreased by an average of 1.0 seconds per milking.
No significant differences were found in the number of milkings and the number of failures, although trends in the data suggest that further optimization is possible.
Discussion and recommendations
Although the results are promising, some limitations were identified. The dairy farms studied were not identical, which could cause variations in the results. In addition, factors such as the condition of the cows and the state of the Liners prior to the transition. 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 Liners without head aeration. They improve milking speed and reduce dead milk time, which contributes to a more efficient milking process and potentially better teat condition. These findings can help farmers at making informed decisions about the choice of Liners, which can ultimately lead to improved productivity and animal welfare in dairy farming.