Liners are one of the most important parts of the milking machine/parlour, they are the only part of the parlour that comes into direct contact with the cow’s teat.
On the majority of Irish dairy farms the milking machine is used twice a day, seven days a week, for up to 12 months of the year, so ensuring that liners are in good condition is critical for somatic cell count (SCC) and mastitis control.
The majority of liners are expected to last for 2,000 milkings or six months depending on which comes first.
Although many farmers don’t enjoy completing this job, it is of the upmost importance to ensure that the milking machine / process continues to operate correctly.
Milk liners lose their elasticity over time due to the reasons listed below:
- Swelling due to fat absorption;
- Stiffening due to milk stone accumulation;
- Rubber denaturing due to the action of dairy detergents.
These changes in the liner make them less effective when milking cows, leaving more residual milk behind, reducing yield and making cows more vulnerable to infection.
When to change liners
The number of cows you are milking and size of parlour will determine when liners will be required to be changed.
For a farmer milking eight rows of cows, this means that each liner is completing 16 milkings per day (2,000/16=125 days).
This means after 125 days of milk production, this farmer’s liners are required to be changed.
If you began calving in early February, you will soon be approaching the 2,000 milking mark.
It is also important to note when installing new liners that they are installed correctly, incorrect installation of liners will results in cows not being milked out correctly.
It is dangerous to think that once the parlour starts and milk is flowing through the milk line, that everything is OKAY.
New liners should be doubled checked to ensure that they are correctly installed and working properly.
Other checks
While you are changing the liners, an inspection of the other rubber wear within the parlour is advised.
An inspection of the pulsation tubes and the milk line should be completed to ensure that these lines are not becoming frayed or damaged in any way.
Any rubber that has become either frayed or damaged should be replaced to avoid a possible issue developing during milking in the near future.