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Milk Droplet Impacts During Induced Vacuum Fluctuations: Influence of Claw and Other Characteristics

Mastitis and Milk Secretion Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Science and Education Administration, Beltsville, MD 20705

ABSTRACT

Severity of milk droplet impacts against teat ends as a result of abrupt loss of milk line vacuum was measured with impact sensitive transducers placed in milking machine liners. Impacts were generally more severe with low rather than high milk lines and with nonvented rather than vented claws. However, impacts were more severe with high than with low milk lines when measured during the low-flow stage of milking. Style of claw did not influence severity of impacts. Measurement of droplet movement from long milk tubes into claws showed that a large claw intercepted a greater percentage of milk droplets on their way from long milk tubes to teat end than did a small or a medium claw, and also reduced vacuum fluctuation in the short milk tube relative to the small or medium claw. However, neither of these factors led to significant reduction of teat-end impacts when large claws were used. An unvented claw with a high milk line reduced milk flow rate and yield within milking. The smallest, lightest claw gave lowest yield within milking.

¹ Dairy Equipment Company, P. O. Box 8050, Madison, WI 53708.

² Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061.