The milking machine is the only piece of equipment in the yard that is used everyday, up to 365 days of the year.
A breakdown to the machine can have a detrimental effect on a dairy farm.
With calving due to begin in the coming weeks on spring-calving dairy herds across the country, farmers should ensure that their machine is ready for the season ahead.
Milking machine
Ahead of the start of calving you should get the milking machine serviced and replace any damaged or worn parts.
Towards the end of the 2022 lactation and into the early stages of the dry period, many farms were hit by severe weather conditions, with temperatures dropping well below zero.
This could have had a negative affect on machines, so you should complete an inspection of all the piping and rubber tubes in the milking machine/parlour over the coming days.
The following parts of the machine should be checked:
- The vacuum – should be a maximum of 48 kilopascal (kPa);
- The liners, which should be changed every 2,000 milkings;
- The short pulse tubes and long milk tubes for cracks and wear and tear;
- The claw bowl seals and shut-off valve seals – and replace as necessary;
- The claw bowls for cracks or chips.
2023 season
Ahead of the 2023 lactation it is also a good idea to have a number of spare parts present in the yard that can be used when required.
Having these parts to hand can stop a small issue from becoming a major hassle or delay.
Some of spare parts you should ensure you have include claw bowls, pulsation tubes, milk line tubes, automatic cluster remove (ACRs) cord or line, liners and vacuum pump oil and belts.
It is unlikely you will get through the 2023 lactation without some issue or breakdown, but having these spare parts may mean that whatever it is only results in a short delay.