Automated teat treatment arrives

01-09-2010 | Tim McVeagh

The ADF system was developed in Britain to automate teat dipping and cluster flushing; two mastitis-control practices more common in Britain than New Zealand.

Teat dipping is activated by a signal from the cup remover once the milking vacuum is shut off. Before the cups are removed, an iodine-based teat dip is pumped from its container though additonal lines to the clusters.

The specialised claws, shells and liners allow teat dip to be delivered to the liner lip cavity and so immerse the teats. A delay of about five seconds while the cups are removed is followed by cluster flushing.

The flushing cycle consists of alternating compressed air blasts and sanitiser delivery, which starts and finishes with compressed air. Sanitiser is metered into water by a Dosatron unit. The sanitiser solution is pumped from storage to the clusters through additional lines, and out the cups to waste. The cycle time for this complete process is 20 seconds, after which the cluster is sanitised and ready for the next cow.

For a medium-size rotary dairy, the ADF system takes three to four days between milkings for installation. It involves replacing clusters, fitting bail and master control boxes and associated wiring, plumbing for teat dip, sanitiser and compressed air; and installing the dip and sanitiser storage and delivery systems. A rotary coupling will be needed for rotary dairies. Compressed air can be provided by a milk-recovery compressor, or an ADF-dedicated compressor.

In Europe 280 milking plants now have ADFs.

Maintenance is minimal and includes replacement of liners at 2000-cow milking intervals. A blinking light indicates that liners should be changed. The liners required for the first five years of service are provided as part of the ADF package.

The ADF is compatible with most milking plants and dairy types. Cup removers are a requirement for this installation because their activation triggers the ADF's dipping and flushing cycle. Most modern dairies have electronic cup removers, but the older "non-electronic" cup removers can be used in conjunction with ADF.

The system has a test programme which runs each bail through the dipping and flushing cycle.

The ADF equipment in each bail is independent, so a problem with one bail will not affect others. The ADF system can be switched off and "normal" milking resumed if there is a problem.

The teat spray recommended for the ADF system is FIL's Iodoshield Active, an iodine-based teat spray/dip with manuka honey. Each cow uses 8ml of teat dip, comparing favourably with automated systems which commonly use 22-36ml a cow.

The sanitiser recommended is FIL's Quantum Blue, a phosphoric-acid based detergent sanitiser. A total of 250ml of sanitiser solution, mixed at a rate of 2ml/litre, is used for each flush. This means 0.5ml of sanitiser concentrate is used for each cow milked.

Fonterra is looking at the possibility of inhibitary substances grades occurring due to sanitiser residues in the milk. Open Country Dairy Ltd is monitoring milk supplied from the first NZ ADF installation, and to date is satisfied with the results. Inhibitary substances residues has not been an issue in Britain. Other suppliers of teat dip and sanitiser may be approved.

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