Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-42gr6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-15T23:04:16.026Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Best combination of pre-stimulation and latency period duration before cluster attachment for efficient oxytocin release and milk ejection in cows with low to high udder-filling levels

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 December 2010

Shehadeh Kaskous  and
Rupert M Bruckmaier
Shehadeh Kaskous
Affiliation:
Animal Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Damascus University, PO Box 30621 Damascus, Syria
Rupert M Bruckmaier*
Affiliation:
Veterinary Physiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bremgartenstr. 109a, 3001 Bern, Switzerland
*
*For correspondence; e-mail: rupert.bruckmaier@physio.unibe.ch
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Experiments were designed to investigate the suitability of a combination of a short manual teat stimulation with a short latency period before teat cup attachment to induce and maintain oxytocin release and milk ejection without interruption. In Experiment 1, seven dairy cows in mid lactation were manually pre-stimulated for 15, 30 or 45 s, followed by either 30 s or 45 s of latency period. It was shown that all treatments induced a similar release of oxytocin without interruption until the end of milking. In particular, the latency period of up to 45 s did not cause a transient decrease of oxytocin concentration. In Experiment 2, milking characteristics were recorded in seven cows each in early, mid, and late lactation, respectively. Because the course of milk ejection depends mainly on the degree of udder filling, individual milkings were classified based on the actual degree of udder filling which differs between lactational stages but also between morning and evening milkings. All animals underwent twelve different udder preparation treatments, i.e. 15, 30, or 45 s of pre-stimulation followed by latency periods of 0, 30, 45, or 60 s. Milking characteristics were recorded. Total milk yield, main milking time and average milk flow rate did not differ between treatments if the degree of udder filling at the start of milking was >40% of the maximum storage capacity. However, if the udder filling was <40%, main milking time was decreased with the duration of a latency period up to 45 s, independent of duration of pre-stimulation. Average milk flow at an udder filling of <40% was highest after a pre-stimulation of 45 s followed by a latency period of another 45 s. In contrast, average milk flow reached its lowest values at a pre-stimulation of 15 s without additional latency period. However, average milk flow after a 15-s pre-stimulation increased with increasing latency period. In conclusion, a very short pre-stimulation when followed by a latency period up to 45 s before teat cup attachment remains a suitable alternative for continuous stimulation to induce milk ejection.

Keywords

Milkingpre-stimulationlatency perioddairy cow
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Dairy Research , Volume 78 , Issue 1 , February 2011 , pp. 97 - 104
Copyright
Copyright © Proprietors of Journal of Dairy Research 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ayadi, M, Caja, G, Such, X, Rovai, M & Albanell, E 2004 Effect of different milking intervals on the composition of cisternal and alveolar milk in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Research 71 304–310CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Belo, CJ & Bruckmaier, RM 2010 Suitability of low dosage oxytocin treatment to induce milk ejection in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 93 63–69CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Belo, CJ, Schlegel, S, Moll, J, Möstl, E & Bruckmaier, RM 2009 Milk ejection disorders in Swiss dairy cows: a field study. Journal of Dairy Research 76 222–228CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bruckmaier, RM, Schams, D & Blum, JW 1993 Milk removal in familiar and unfamiliar surroundings cocentration of oxytocin, prolactin and beta-endorphin. Journal of Dairy Research 60 449–456CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bruckmaier, RM, Schams, D & Blum, JW 1994 Continuously elevated concentration of oxytocin during milking are necessary for complete milk removal in dairy cows. Journal Dairy Research 61 323–334CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bruckmaier, RM, Rothenanger, E & Blum, JW 1995 Milking characteristics in dairy cows of different breeds from different farms and during the course of lactation. Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics 112 293–302CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bruckmaier, RM & Blum, JW 1996 Stimultaneous recording of oxytocin release, milk ejection and milk flow during milking of dairy cows with and without prestimulation. Journal of Dairy Research 63 201–208CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bruckmaier, RM & Blum, JW 1998 Oxytocin release and milk removal in ruminants. Journal of Dairy Science 81 939–949CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bruckmaier, RM 2001 Milk ejection during machine milking in dairy cows. Livestock Production Science 70 121–124CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bruckmaier, RM & Hilger, M 2001 Milk ejection in dairy cows at different degrees of udder filling. Journal of Dairy Research 68 369–376CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bruckmaier, RM, Macuhova, J & Meyer, HHD 2001 Specific aspects of milk ejection in robotic milking: A review. Livestock Production Science 72 169–176CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dzidic, A, Macuhova, J & Bruckmaier, RM 2004b Effects of cleaning duration and water temperature on oxytocin release and milk removal in an automatic milking system. Journal of Dairy Science 87 4163–4169CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dzidic, A, Weiss, D & Bruckmaier, RM 2004a Oxytocin release, milk ejection and milking characteristics in a single stall automatic milking system. Livestock Production Science 86 61–68CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Knight, CH, Hirst, D & Dewhurst, RJ 1994 Milk accumulation and distribution in the bovine udder during the interval between milkings. Journal of Dairy Research 61 167–177CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mayer, H, Schams, D, Prokopp, A & Worstorff, H 1984 Effects of manual stimulation and delayed milking on secretion of oxytocin and milking characteristics in dairy cows. Milchwissenschaft 39 666–670Google Scholar
Mayer, H, Worstorff, H, Schams, D & Klein, M 1985 Secretion of oxytocin and milking characteristics in cows as affected by several modes of tactile teat stimulation. Milchwissenschaft 40 1–5Google Scholar
Pfeilsticker, HU, Bruckmaier, RM & Blum, JW 1996 Cisternal milk in the dairy cow during lactation and after preceding teat stimulation. Journal of Dairy Research 63 509–515CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rasmussen, MD, Frimer, ES, Horvath, Z & Jensen, NE 1990 Comparison of a standardized and a variable milking routine. Journal of Dairy Science 73 3472–3480CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rasmussen, MD, Frimer, ES & Galton, DM 1992 The influence of pre-milking teat preparation and attachment delay on milk yield and milking. Journal of Dairy Science 75 2131–2141CrossRefGoogle Scholar
SAS Institute 1999 Manual, Version 8, Cary NC, USAGoogle Scholar
Schams, D 1983 Oxytocin determination by radioimmunoassay. III. Improvement to subpicogram sensitivity and application to blood levels in cyclic cattle. Acta Endocrinologica 103 180–183Google ScholarPubMed
Tancin, V, Ipema, B, Hogewerf, P & Macuhova, J 2006 Sources of variation in milk flow characteristics at udder and quarter levels. Journal of Dairy Science 89 978–988CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wachs, EA, Gorewit, RC & Currie, WB 1984 Half-life, clearance and production rate for oxytocin in cattle during lactation and mammary involution. Domestic Animal Endocrinology 1 121–140CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weiss, D, Hilger, M, Meyer, HHD & Bruckmaier, RM 2002 Variable milking intervals and milk composition. Milchwissenschaft 57 246–250Google Scholar
Weiss, D, Dzidic, A & Bruckmaier, RM 2003 Effect of stimulation intensity on oxytocin release before, during and after machine milking. Journal of Dairy Research 70 349–354CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weiss, D & Bruckmaier, RM 2005 Optimization of individual prestimulation in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 88 137–147CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed