Testing the application of an automatic milking system on buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)
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Date
2015-01-08
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
PAGEPress, Italy
Abstract
The automatic milking systems (AMS) have been deeply studied in
dairy cows applications, but not in the case of buffaloes; although, a
few applications to the species can be found in literature. The objec
tive of this study is to compare some important functional aspects of
AMS with the conventional milking systems. Aspects such as adapta
tion of buffalo to AMS and the possible relationship between milking
frequency and daily milk yield were evaluated. Two groups of Bubalus
bubalis were reared in the same barn, in a farm located in Piana del
Sele (SA) southern Italy. Fourty primiparous buffaloes were milked
using an AMS, and at the same time another herd of 40 were milked
twice a day using traditional milking system (tandem). The adaptation
period of buffaloes to AMS was 2 months. Milking frequency with the
AMS was significantly higher compared to the one of traditional meth
ods (2.3±0.17 times/d vs 2 times/d). Daily milk yield with the AMS was
observed to be significantly higher than with traditional milking sys
tem (7.9±1.3 kg/d vs 6.9±1.06 kg/d). In this study, there was no signif
icant relationship between the increase of daily milking frequency and
daily milk yield. We can conclude that a positive AMS effect on daily
milk yield and milking frequency is possible and so we can expect suc
cessful applications of the AMS to dairy buffalo farms.
Description
Keywords
Automatic milking, buffalo, milking frequency, milk yield
Citation
Faugno, S., Pindozzi, S., Okello, C., & Sannino, M. (2015). Testing the application of an automatic milking system on buffalo (Bubalus bubalis). Journal of Agricultural Engineering, 46(1), 13-18.