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By Helen Costello, milking and mastitis specialist

The dry period is an ideal time to plan to improve the milking system from the paddock to the parlour.

It is easy to collapse gratefully when the day-to-day milking routine finishes for the season. However, before switching off, grab the notebook and identify where improvements in cowflow can be made. Take a long hard look at your working environment and herd in general.

There are many telltale signs that indicate where minor adjustments would improve the efficiency of the unit and the comfort of the cow.

Good cow flow starts on the farm roadway. Wander down the track and have a good look at all the following from the cow's point of view:

The surface

a) The track should be raised above the field around it to ensure good drainage.

b) Can you walk comfortably in your old wellies? If not, neither can the cows - resurface it.

Obstructions

a) Ensure the track is the same width for the entire length and remove all obstructions, otherwise cows are getting a big zap of the fencer.

b) Maybe the surface is just 'tacky'. The track has definitely narrowed. Cows know the difference even if it's 'only 6 inches'. It's still an obstruction.

c) It's easier to move a car and trailer around a bend than it is to get around a right / left angled turn - it's the same for the cow. All turns should be "clipped" like a fifty pence piece.

d) Remove as many of these turns as possible. Keep the cows on the straight - they flow faster, like driving on the motorway.

e) As it approaches the collecting yard, the track should widen to the width of the yard gate (minimum 4 metres) to maximize flow into the yard.

Sit on the fence and have a good look around you

Sit on the yard fence for a few minutes and have a good look round. What do you see?

a) What way do the cows face when they enter the yard? They should all be facing the parlour. If not, move the entrance gate and extend the track - whatever it takes to focus them on the parlour. This will help lower your stress levels and theirs.

b) Walk on the yard surface - is it too smooth or too rough? If you are not comfortable in those wellies, there's no hope for the cows. A skim of fresh concrete with a brush finish will ensure cows' comfort and a steady even flow into the parlour.

c) As the cows approach the parlour, are they concentrating on the parlour or admiring the "view" outside the yard? The first 6 metres from the parlour should be "solid wall" so the cows are focused on entering the parlour. This enables them to line up better, thus improving cow flow. The 'solid wall' construction can be galvanized sheets / horticultural screening riveted to the pipe work.

d) Do the heifers skip from one side to the other avoiding entering the parlour? A simple V shaped lead-in will solve the problem. This is constructed between the two entrances to the parlour, extending out at least two metres. It forms a funnel to guide the cows / heifers into the parlour.

e) Are there narrow entrance doors? Imagine the discomfort of the cows squeezing through the door into the parlour twice a day, especially when pregnant.

f) Are there any signs of grease and hair stuck on the concrete edges where the cows have to turn sharp corners? Get out the angle grinder and round off those edges.

Taking care of the milker

Now have a look as the milker - you deserve some comfort too!

a) Can the front gate be opened from anywhere in the pit or do you run up and down the pit like a ping-pong ball?

b) In many parlours the light fixtures run parallel to the pit. Turn them across the pit and you will utilize the light more efficiently.

c) Is your back aching? Maybe the pit is too shallow. Stooping and stretching to apply clusters causes strain on the back. A person 5 foot 7 inches tall needs a pit depth of approximately 36 inches.

d) Cleaning up is one of the biggest time wasters across the country. A good high volume wash-down hosing system will wash a rectangular yard for 200 cows in 4 minutes (a circular yard in less) - not the usual 20 - 30 minutes so often spent.

Often it is the simple and least expensive things, which cause delays in the parlour. The front gate catch sticks, the gate release rope doesn't exist or only goes part of the way down the pit, using a hand scraper instead of a wash-down hose - silly things which create extra walking.

Making a list of all these things is a major step in getting rid of them. From this original list make a "shopping list" of any items you may need to complete the jobs. Break the jobs up into smaller ones, which can be handled on a daily basis. Each day pick a job from the list and cross it off when completed. It's a great feeling as the list becomes shorter.

Have a stroll through the parlour. Look carefully. Pretend you are the cow - focus on parts of the parlour which would make cows nervous or reluctant to go forward.

a) As the cows enter the parlour, is it so dark that it's like the black hole of Calcutta? Not very enticing for an animal that originated on the open plains - there could be a lion or bear or something in there going to eat them. Brighten it up by installing 1:3 clear perspex sheets into the roof over the cow standing. This will improve cow flow and reduce summer lighting costs.

b) The pit is a very big hole that an unsuspecting heifer could fall into. She will try to steer clear of that! Ensure the nib (kerb) extends to the back of the lead-in and put an extra rail in the centre of the lead-in to give her added security.

c) As the cows enter the bail area, does the space available to her narrow because the back bar hinges on the breast rail or trough side? Change the back bar so it rotates on the rump rail and allows the cow an open space free of obstruction.

d) Maybe you have a gate behind the cows. When you open this, you are pushing the first cow away. Again change to a rotating back bar.

e) Are there any shiny metal parts (rump rail supports, hinges, catches, front gates, etc)? This is happening because the cows are catching themselves on these points at every milking.

Angle the rump rail supports away from the cow by at least 3 to 6 inches. Hang the gate on the front of the post, change the catch so that it is rounded, not pointy, and redesign the bars on the front gate to allow the cow "belly room". Remember, a cow is barrel-shaped, not flat sided.

f) Remove the old concrete nib (kerb) and replace it with a two-inch galvanized bar strapped to the pit wall to allow the cow to stand square and still to stop her slipping into the pit.

Is there enough emphasis on protein quality ?

By Dr. Siobhan Kavanagh, Nutrition Specialist, Teagasc Kildalton

Do high yielding dairy cows need a high concentration of crude protein in the diet? In recent years the protein concentration of diets has steadily increased with limited scientific evidence to support the theory.

Traditionally, the recommendation for protein concentration in the total diet dry matter has been 16-17%/kg DM. This has increased to 18-19%/kg DM in some cases. Excessive protein in the diet leads to a loss of energy as the animal works to get rid of it. In addition, environmental pressures in the future may require us to formulate diets to reduce nitrogen excretion.

There has been limited protein nutrition research in recent years. However, a number of studies reported at the animal science meeting in Indianapolis this year showed some interesting results. One study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison compared diets formulated to 16 and 18.8 %/kg DM crude protein in the total dry matter. Interestingly, the results (see table) show no difference in dry matter intake, milk yield or milk constituent yields between the two diets.

It must be noted that the dietary constituents were quite different to Irish diets, containing alfalfa silage, maize silage, soyabean meal, cottonseed meal, animal fat and minerals/vitamins. But it does question the type of diet that we are currently formulating - is there enough emphasis being put on protein quality rather than level of crude protein in the diet?