Relationships of Milking Systems to Adequacy of Milking

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Abstract
By computer simulation techniques, the milking system was related to the time required to milk and adequacy of milk- ing. Both sideopening and herringbone milking systems, utilizing four milking units, were characterized. Experiment I was a factorial arrangement of treatments involving two variations of five factors: herringbone or sideopening parlor, pres- ence or absence of mechanized crowd gate, presence or absence of group-wash- ing, presence or absence of machine stripping, and high or low milk produc- tion. Experiment II involved two varia- tions of three factors: parlor type, parlor efficiency, and priority of chore routine. Elimination of excessive machine strip- ping improved milking techniques, re- laxed working conditions for the milker, and increased the cow per man-hour ca- pacity of the parlor. All mechanization features tended to improve parlcr ca- pacity. The descending order of rank, by time saved, is: group washing, herring- bone rather than sideopening parlor, and crowd gate. Variations in the operator activity routines did not alter parlor ca- pacity but did result in significant differ- ences in the adequacy of milking.

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