Udder Shape, Teat Anatomy and Machine Milking in Buffaloes

Udder Shape, Teat Anatomy and Machine Milking in Buffaloes

Udder shapes

• Main udders shapes in buffaloes are rounded, bowl, cup etc.
• 65% of Murraha buffaloes have bowl shaped udders.
• The bowl shape udder in buffaloes has a higher capacity and they extend forwards & backwards rather than downward.

Buffalo teats

  

  

•  Buffaloes have varying teat lengths and teat circumference within the same herd ranging from 6 to 10 cm’s and the teat circumference ranges from 6 to 11 cm’s.
• Buffalo teats are thicker and fleshier.
• Milk letdown in buffaloes is easily noticeable as the teats suddenly swell up in size increasing by 10 to 12% in length and circumference.

	The same teats on milk ejection and after milking

 

• With the current assortment of liners it will not be possible efficiently milk buffaloes with teat length more than 6 to 7 cm. This should be considered while selecting animals from machine milking.
• Buffaloes have longer teat canals than dairy cows which are some times 2 -3 cm’s long. This makes it important to position the teat in the liner correctly for better udder emptying. Selecting the correct liner is important.
• Buffaloes require a higher vacuum level for keeping the teat canal open while milking on account of the longer teat canals.
• Pressure exerted on teats at hand milking of buffaloes: 36 cm Hg(48kPa) at first sign of milk ejection and during milk ejection 16 -24 cm Hg (21 -32 kPa)
• In a study done in 1969 it was found that a vauummr> 30cm Hg(40kPa) is required to overcomes resistance of the sphincter and  start milk flow. In bovine cows only 10 - 20 kPa pressure difference is required to open the teat cannel.

Minimum vacuum required for relaxing teat sphincter muscles and to open teat the canal in both Italian and Indian Buffaloes.

Note:

Dry teats = before froe stripping / wet teats = after fore stripping , Out of the total animals tested milk flow was observed only the number of animals given in the parenthesis .In the others there was no milk flow even at maximum vacuum.

Cluster weight

•  Buffalo teats are collapsed and empty during before and milk ejection and towards the end of milking.
• In buffaloes 50 - 60% of the milk is extracted during the first 2 to 3 minutes of milking. To extract the remainder 40% of milk it is important that the teats do not penetrate to deep into the liner causing pulsation failure.
• Efficient milk extraction a function of vacuum + Cluster weight + Liner design
• Lighter cluster = ß lower cluster slip Ý  higher Strip yield
•  Heavier cluster = Ý higher cluster slip ß slower trip yield

Interactions influencing efficient milking