Dairy farming never stands still. Automation, animal health and milking process optimisation continue to develop — and in this, seemingly small components sometimes play a surprisingly large role. One of those components? The liner.
HappyFarmer has been responding to this for years with their reliable rubber HappyLiner liners for milking robots. After years of proven results, a new step is now being taken: the introduction of the HappyLiner FLS-0021, a silicone liner specially developed for Lely milking robots.
Why switch to the HappyLiner FLS-0021?
Silicone is becoming increasingly popular in dairy farming. And not without reason. Compared to rubber, it offers several advantages:
- Softer material: more comfortable for the teat, meaning greater comfort for the cow
- Less risk of cracking: retains its shape better
- 4x Longer lifespan: silicone (10.000 milkings) wears less quickly than rubber (2.500 milkings)
These advantages were the starting point for Marte van Hastenberg, who translated his experience as a technician and installer of milking robots into this practical innovation: the FLS-0021.
Research in practice: how does the FLS-0021 perform?
The real value of a product only becomes clear in the barn, of course. That is why our intern Koen van Zutphen (third-year Livestock Farming student at HAS Geen Academy) set up a practice-oriented study at multiple dairy farms.
Research design
- Multiple dairy farms switched to the HappyLiner FLS-0021
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Data was collected from 10.000 milkings per robot.
- 10.000 with the original silicone liners
- 10.000 with the HappyLiner FLS-0021
- At each farm, at least one milking robot continued operating with the original silicone liner — as a control group
- The data was analysed using SPSS statistical software
Measurement points
- Milk flow rate
- Number of refusals
- Number of milkings
- Somatic cell count
Results: what stood out
The results of the comparison between the original silicone liner and the HappyLiner are promising. These are the key findings:
1. Milk flow rate
The FLS-0021 increases the minimum average milk flow rate by 0.1 kg per minute, rising to as much as 0.3 kg per minute. This may seem small, but it adds up across a full herd — and saves you a significant amount of time each day.
2. Refusals
The number of refusals per milking robot increased on average by 55%. This may appear to be a deterioration, but it is not: more refusals means that cows are visiting the milking robot more often of their own accord.
3. Somatic cell count and failed milkings
No significant difference was found in somatic cell count or number of failed milkings. However, farm-specific trends were observed that showed positive differences. This suggests that some farms may gain additional benefit — depending on management and the group of animals.
Recommendations and next steps
The results show that the FLS-0021 performs well as a baseline, but effectiveness may vary per farm or group of cows. So, what does the new HappyLiner FLS-0021 liner add to your milking robot? The HappyLiner FLS-0021 silicone liner ensures a smoother milking process: higher milk flow rates, more spontaneous milking visits from your cows — and all at an affordable price.
In short: an investment that pays for itself in happy cows and a happy farmer!
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