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A comparison of once- versus twice-daily milking on performance of late lactation dairy cows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2017

C. P. Ferris ,
C. S. Mayne ,
J. P. Frost ,
R. C. Binnie  and
M. A. McCoy
C. P. Ferris
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co Down N. Ireland BT26 6DR
C. S. Mayne
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co Down N. Ireland BT26 6DR
J. P. Frost
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co Down N. Ireland BT26 6DR
R. C. Binnie
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co Down N. Ireland BT26 6DR
M. A. McCoy
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co Down N. Ireland BT26 6DR
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Extract

Labour constitutes a major and increasing cost on dairy farms, while at the same time, the availability of skilled labour is decreasing. In addition, younger farmers are placing an increasing emphasis on lifestyle. Consequently, there is an increased interest in milk production systems involving reduced labour inputs. In view of the fact that approximately 33% (O’Brien et al., 2002) of the daily labour input on dairy farms is associated with the milking routine (herding, milking and washing), the adoption of once daily milking would appear to offer considerable potential to reduce labour inputs. This study examined the effect of once-daily milking, in late lactation, on animal performance.

Type
ISAE
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science , Volume 2003 , 2003 , pp. 25
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 2003

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References

O’Brien, B., O’Donovan, K., Gleeson, D., Kinsella, J. and Ruane, D. (2002). Factors affecting labour efficiency of milking. Agricultural Research Forum, Tullamore, Co.Offal. Page 73.Google Scholar