Article

Effect of low frequency oscillations during milking on udder temperature and welfare of dairy cows

ANTANAS SEDEREVIČIUS1, VAIDAS OBERAUSKAS1, RASA ŽELVYTĖ1, JUDITA ŽYMANTIENĖ1, KRISTINA MUSAYEVA1,*, JUOZAS ŽEMAITIS1, VYTAUTAS JURĖNAS2, ALGIMANTAS BUBULIS2, JORIS VĖŽYS2
Author Information & Copyright
1Lithuanian University of Health Sciences,Veterinary Academy, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Research Center of Digestive Physiology and Pathology, KAUNAS 50199, Lithuania.
2Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), Institute of Mechatronics, KAUNAS 51424, Lithuania.
*Corresponding Author: KRISTINA MUSAYEVA, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences,Veterinary Academy, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Research Center of Digestive Physiology and Pathology, KAUNAS 50199, Lithuania. E-mail: kristina.musayeva@lsmuni.lt.

© Copyright 2022 Korean Society of Animal Science and Technology. This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

The study's objective was to analyze the theoretical dynamics of oscillations and investigate the impact of low-frequency oscillations on the udder temperature, milk yield and quality, and animal welfare with created low-frequency oscillations device on milkers. The mechanical vibration device developed and tested in the study was mounted on a DeLaval milking machine, which excited the udder with low-frequency oscillations, allowing the analysis of input parameters (temperature, oscillation amplitude) and using feedback data, changing the device parameters such as vibration frequency and duration. The experimental study was performed using an artificial cow's udder model with and without milk and a DeLaval milking machine, exciting the model with low-frequency harmonic oscillations (frequency range 15 - 60 Hz, vibration amplitude 2 - 5 mm). The investigation in vitro applying low-frequency of the vibration system's first-order frequencies in lateral (X) direction showed the low-frequency values of 23.5 – 26.5 Hz (the optimal frequency of the simulation analysis was 25.0 Hz). The tested values of the first-order frequency of the vibration system in the vertical (Y) direction were 37.5 – 41.5 Hz (the optimal frequency of the simulation analysis was 41.0 Hz), with higher amplitude and lower vibration damping. During <italic>in vivo </italic>experiments while milking, the vibrator was inducing mechanical milking-similar vibrations in the udder. The vibrations were spreading to the entire udder and caused physiotherapeutic effects such as activated physiological processes and increased udder base temperature by 0.57℃ (<italic>p </italic>&lt; 0.001), thus increasing blood flow in the udder. The optimal frequency oscillations value of a newly developed device on cow’s artificial udder model was X axes – 25.0; Y axes – 41.0 Hz. Low-frequency vibrations during milking statistically significantly increased udder temperature and did not adversely affect the studied animal welfare indicators, milk yield and quality. 

Keywords: low-frequency vibrations; milk parameters; animal welfare