ICAR Technical Series no. 7 - Nitra Proc.

Characteristics of two linersthe teat were done with special software of Pie Medical - Eview - EchoImage Viewer. Teat dimensions were determined at four different points:teat canal length, teat end diameter, teat wall thickness and teat cisternwidth as shown in figure 1.The experiment was carried out with 12 HF cows. The liners were placedon the Babson RX-milk claw (internal diameters short milk tubesconnection 10mm). Pulsation settings were in according with the guidelines of the manufacturer, e.g. 60 P/min and a 60/40-ratio at 42 kPa nominalvacuum.The trial started with an adaptation period (standard liner), followed bytwo test periods. As far as milking characteristics were concerned, all datawere collected on quarter level. The trial was set up as a split udder designwith a cross-over. The milking characteristics were collected automaticallyby the milking parlour data recording system. Data were analysed byANOVA (Genstat). Teat scans were carried out at one evening and onemorning milking both in period 1 and period 2. The teat scans were carriedout directly after pre-treatment, so before attachment of the milking cluster,and directly after cluster removal. Changes in teat diameters were analysedusing a generalised linear model (REML-Genstat).ResultsMilking intervals and quarter position showed significant effects onmilking characteristics, so they were included in the statistical model. Theresults of the model are shown in table 1. Milking machine parameterslike average and maximum milk flow rate, milk yield 3 minutes afterattachment and machine on time did not differ between both liners.Figure 1. Teat scan: explanation of parameters.204Conference on "Physiological and technicalaspects of machine milking"