Evaluation of the suitability of high-yielding cows for machine milking under the conditions of innovative technologies

Cite this article: Galai, O. Yu., & Lutsenko, M. M. (2019). Evaluation of the suitability of high-yielding cows for machine milking under the conditions of innovative technologies. Theoretical and Applied Veterinary Medicine, 7(1), 25‒28. doi: 10.32819/2019.71005 Abstract. In despite of crisis situation in dairy husbandry, modern dairy farms with innovative milk production technologies and the use of high-performance milking plants of the “Parallel” and “Carousel” type are being created in Ukraine, which requires standardization of the livestock capita both on the exteriors and on indicators of suitability of cows for machine milking. The need for such research is also due to the fact that modern dairy farms are completed with a high productivity live-stock cows with a milk yield of 8–10 thousand kg per lactation, which according to these criteria differ significantly from cows with average productivity. The live-stock cows of modern dairy farms in Ukraine is completed at the expense of its own live-stock capita of farmings and through the purchase of imported non-calving young cows. Therefore, the main problem when creating such farms is to complete their qualitative live-stock capita from the point of view of its suitability for machine milking, which in the structure of the cost of construction of new farms is about 30%. It is established that the level of suitability of cows for machine milking on the created farms is different. Thus, at the Superadded liability company farming “Terezine” where the dairy farm is completed with Holstein cattle imported from European countries, the suitability of cows for machine milking is 95.7%. The farming “Ostriykivske” is completed with domestic livestock of black-and-white breed with the suitability of cows for machine milking 82.5%, which negatively affects the physiological state of cows, in particular, the morbidity of their mammitis. The level of morbidity of animals here is practically twice twice above than on the dairy farm completed with an imported live-stock capita (25.3%). The analysis of the main criteria concerning the suitability of cows to machine milking showed that a significant part of cows did not meet the requirements of the “Rules of Machine Milking” (2004) on the basis of udder distance from the floor, the size of the teats and the uniformity of the development of the udder slices. If at the Superadded liability company farming “Terezine”, where the dairy farm is сompleted with imported live-stock capita, the suitability of cows under the form of udder, its distance from the floor, the size of lobules, the uniform development of the lobules of the udder, the duration of milking are within 94.5–98.7%, then on the farm with the domestic live-stock capita it is equal to 80.3–82.5%. It has been revealed that in recent years, in Ukraine there is practically no qualitative selection and pedigree work. According to the economic reporting, the main reasons for roguing cows from the herd are barrenness, the disease of the mammary gland and extremities.The roguing of cows on the basis of their suitability for machine milking at farms practically is not carried out.