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. 2024 Jun 20;14(12):1828.
doi: 10.3390/ani14121828.

The Association of Delayed Milk Ejection with Milking Performance in Holstein Cows in a Large Dairy Herd with Suboptimal Premilking Teat Stimulation

Ajay Singh  1 , Madeleine Eve Spellman  1 , Haritha Somula  1 , Mohammad Osamah Dahl  1   2 , Matthias Wieland  1
Affiliations

The Association of Delayed Milk Ejection with Milking Performance in Holstein Cows in a Large Dairy Herd with Suboptimal Premilking Teat Stimulation

Ajay Singh et al. Animals (Basel). .

Abstract

The primary objective was to investigate the association between delayed milk ejection (DME) and the average milk flow rate, milking unit-on time, and duration in a low milk flow rate in Holstein dairy cows in a large dairy herd with suboptimal premilking teat stimulation. Our second objective was to study the association between peak lactation milk yield and the occurrence of DME. This longitudinal field study was conducted at a 4300-cow dairy farm with a thrice-daily milking schedule over a 1-week period. We analyzed data from 61,677 cow milking observations from 2937 cows. Delayed milk ejection was defined as present if the 30-60 s milk flow rate was ≤3.1 kg/min. The mean average milk flow rate (MAMF, kg/min), mean milking unit-on time (MMUT, s), and mean duration of a low milk flow rate (MLMF, s) were calculated as the mean values from the 21 milking observations. General linear multivariable models revealed associations of DME with MAMF, MMUT, and MLMF. A multivariable ordinal logistic regression model revealed an association between peak lactation milk yield and DME. Cows with lower peak lactation milk yield had greater odds of exhibiting a higher frequency level of DME. The observed associations between DME and milking performance indices suggest that DME can negatively affect milking and parlor efficiency. Peak lactation milk yield may serve as a proxy to estimate cows' risk of recurrent DME. Future research is warranted to test if alleviating DME through, for example, a modified milking routine influences the milking performance indices described herein.

Keywords: bimodal; bovine; milk ejection; oxytocin.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Heatmap showing the frequency distribution of cows with DME events (i.e., 0 to 21 DME events) over a period of 1 week (i.e., 21 milking observations), stratified by parity and the stage of lactation.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Least squares means from a general linear model showing the mean average milk flow rate (kg/min) of hypothetical cows with 0, 7, 14, or 21 milking observations with DME stratified by parity (A–C) and the stage of lactation (D–F). Error bars represent the 95% CI.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Least squares means from a general linear model showing the average milking unit-on time (s) of hypothetical cows with 0, 7, 14, or 21 milking observations with DME stratified by the stage of lactation (A–C). Error bars represent the 95% CI.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Least squares means from a general linear model showing the average duration of a low milk flow rate (s) of hypothetical cows with 0, 7, 14, or 21 milking observations with DME stratified by parity (A–C) and the stage of lactation (D–F). Error bars represent the 95% CI.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Results from multivariable ordinal logistic regression model showing association of parity, stage of lactation, presence of non-lactating quarter, somatic cell count (log10-transformed, logSCC), and peak lactation milk yield with delayed milk ejection.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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