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Milk Quality and Automatic Milking: Fat Globule Size, Natural Creaming, and Lipolysis^*

¹ Consiglio per la Ricerca e Sperimentazione in Agricoltura, Istituto Sperimentale per la Zootecnia, Sezione Operativa di Cremona, I-26100 Cremona, Italy
² Consiglio per la Ricerca e Sperimentazione in Agricoltura, Istituto Sperimentale Lattiero Caseario, I-26900 Lodi, Italy

Corresponding author: F. Abeni; e-mail: fabio.abeni{at}isz.it.

Thirty-eight Italian Friesian first-lactation cows were allocated to 2 groups to evaluate the effect of 1) an automatic milking system (AMS) vs. milking in a milking parlor (MP) on milk fat characteristics; and 2) milking interval (480, 481 to 600, 601 to 720, and >720 min) on the same variables. Milk fat was analyzed for content (% vol/vol), natural creaming (% of fat), and free fatty acids (FFA, mEq/100 g of fat). Distribution of milk fat globule size was evaluated to calculate average fat globule diameter (d₁), volume-surface average diameter (d₃₂), specific globule surface area, and mean interglobular distance. Milk yield was recorded to calculate hourly milk and milk fat yield. Milking system had no effect on milk yield, milk fat content, and hourly milk fat yield. Milk from AMS had less natural creaming and more FFA content than milk from MP. Fat globule size, globular surface area, and interglobular distance were not affected by milking system per se. Afternoon MP milkings had more fat content and hourly milk fat yield than AMS milkings when milking interval was >480 min. Milk fat FFA content was greater in AMS milkings when milking interval was 480 min than in milkings from MP and from AMS when milking interval was >600 min. Milking interval did not affect fat globule size, expressed as d₃₂. Results from this experiment indicate a limited effect of AMS per se on milk fat quality; a more important factor seems to be the increase in milking frequency, generally associated with AMS.

Key Words: automatic milking • dairy cow • fat globule • lipolysis

Abbreviation key: AMS = automatic milking system, d₁ = average fat globule diameter, d₃₂ = volume-surface average fat globule diameter, MP = milking parlor

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