Milking Systems & Equipment
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How does the use of Sheep milk change economic feasibility and break even prices for the artisan cheesemaker? - 2018 - Economic impact of scale — i.e., size of processing facility and creamery equipment — on profit and loss.
Agritourism at Dayspring Dairy - 2018 - An Alabama sheep dairy describes their farm business, cheese product list, and marketing avenues, including agritourism and labor challenges. Includes a picture of the milking parlor.
Setting up a Farmstead Dairy - 2016. Bob Ralyea. A basic outline for setting up a farmstead dairy operation.
Parlor Design & Equipment - 2016. Frank Welcome. Information and guidelines on parlor design and milking machines including pulsation rate & vacuum setting recommendations.
Milking Machine Basics and Special Considerations for Small Ruminants - 2015. Dr. Doug Reinemann. In-depth look at operating a milk machine that includes details on liner size, pulsation & vaccuum.
Milk Quality and Dairy Hygiene – 2014 – Gianaclis Caldwell. A presentation on ways to improve milk quality through milking hygiene, milk storage, herd health, and milk testing.
Milking Interval and Other Sheep Research Projects at the University of Wisconsin-Madison – 2014 – David L. Thomas, Russell L. Burgett, Hannah Stellrecht, Todd A. Taylor, Tom W. Murphy, M.J. Maroney, and K.M. Nelson, University of Wisconsin-Madison. A presentation on the optimal milking intervals for dairy sheep that looks at the results of studies testing 16-hour milking intervals starting at mid-lactation and three times daily milking in early lactation. The presentation then goes over research projects on sheep diseases, including CL and OPP, and their testing and treatment.
Ventilation for Dairy Sheep – 2013 – Robert Chambers. A presentation on how to create proper ventilation in a dairy sheep barn in order to keep them in their thermoneutral zone with the goal of increasing flock productivity. It also goes over the different effects of cold and heat stress on the animals.
Milking Intervals for Dairy Ewes – 2013 – David L. Thomas, Emily J. Olund, Michel Baldin, Philip W. Holman, Yves M. Berger, and Tom W. Murphy, University of Wisconsin-Madison. A presentation on profitability of milking intervals for dairy sheep. It looks at research on overall milk loss from milking once daily as opposed to twice daily milking, and at potentials for longer milking intervals or mid-season interval changes as a way to reduce this profit loss.
Milking Machine Design for Sheep, 2011, Beate Maassen-Francke. An in depth look at vacuum pumps, milk lines an all other parts of a ilk machine to ensure the most efficient and productive way of milking sheep.
Fifteen Years of Dairy Sheep Research at the Spooner Agricultural Research Station, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2011, David L. Thomas and Yves M. Berger. A history of the breeds, breeding program, weaning and milking systems, and lactation performance of grazing ewes and protein supplementation.
PARLOUR HYGIENE – SANITATION AND CLEANING - 2007 - Mike Foran, Raw Milk Specialist, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Review of the four basics of cleaning: time, temperature, chemical concentration and physical action.
SHEEP MILKING EQUIPMENT – DOING IT RIGHT - 2007 - Gerald Golem, Penner Farm Services, Tara, Ontario Canada
Breeds of sheep for commercial milk production- 2004 -Berge. Choosing a breed is a big decision for a new producer. There is no "best breed". It is a matter of knowing your preferences and finding the best match. Yves Berger reviews some breeds in the North American context.
Some advice for a good milking- 2004 -Billon. It is important to not only keep milking machinery well-maintained, but also for operators to follow good practices. In this article, the author focuses on before milking, during milking, after milking, and maintenance.
The design of small and medium sized milking machines for dairy sheep - 2004 -Billon. This is a detailed overview of the design of a milking machine for ewes. It also covers the International Dairy Federation standards, an update made to those standards, and shares some new research findings.
Milk testing, calculation of production, and adjustment factors - 2004 -Berger. Improving milk production by selection of ewes requires high-quality milk production data and techniques to estimate production from individual test days and adjust it for age and other factors. This paper summarises the equipment needed, animal identification, how and when to do the testing, and how to calculate production figures.
Nutritional strategies to improve lactation persistency in dairy ewes - 2002 - Cannas. Scientists from Sardinia discuss lactation persistency, how it is measured or defined, and the nutritional and non-nutritional factors that affect it via limiting late-lactation milk production.
Milking equipment for dairy ewes - 2001 - Berger. This paper reviews the principles of good milking practice, the types of parlor, parlor throughput, labour, ergonomics, and various milking plant designs and considerations.
Is machine stripping necessary for East Friesian dairy ewes?- 2001 - McKusick. Machine stripping, where the cups are left on the ewe after flow has stopped and the udder is massaged to remove any remaining milk, was shown to increase the volume of milk harvested but also prolong milking time. The ewes that were not machine stripped did not have higher somatic cell counts or shorter lactation lengths.
Effect of reducing the frequency of milking on milk production, milk composition, and lactation length in East Friesian dairy ewes - 2001 - McKusick. Milking efficiency is a function of milk yield and labor. There was no difference in milk yield, fat yield and percentage, protein yield and percentage, somatic cell count, and lactation length between ewes milked every 12 hours or every 16 hours.
The effect of three times a day milking at the beginning of lactation on the milk production of East Friesian crossbred ewes - 2000 - de Bie. Ewes milked 3 times a day from parturition produced 12.6 liters more milk (15%) during the first 30 days than the ewes milked 2 times a day, but their fat and protein concentrations were lower and there was no difference in somatic cell count. When they were switched from being milked 3 times to 2 times a day, production and fat and protein concentrations reverted to the same as ewes milked 2 times a day from the start. These effects and the economic return depended on the percentage of East Friesian genetics.
Udder morphology and machine milking ability in dairy sheep - 2000 - Caja. This detailed paper describes the anatomy and morphology of the dairy sheep udder, explains their importance for machine milkability, and discusses selection for various traits and the upsides and downsides.
Preliminary observations on milk flow and udder morphology traits of East Friesian crossbred dairy ewes - 2000 - McKusick. Enrolling 72 East Friesian ewes, several milk flow, time, and volume metrics were collected with milk flow sensors, and udder morphology and rumination were visually assessed. The authors present their findings.
Milking Parlors and Milking Machines for Dairy Ewes - 1998 - Billon. Discussion of different parlor types such as Casse, New Casse, and Rotary. Discussion includes bucket vs. pipeline and labour and posture consideration.
Ewe Management for Improved Milk Yield and Quality - 1997 - Marnet. Academic review of how milk yield can be improved through attention to milking systems and udder management
Development of the Dairy Sheep Milking Parlor at the Spooner Agricultural Research Station - 1997 - Berger/Thomas Review of new milking parlor built at the Spooner Ag Research Station (UW-Madison)
Impressions of Diary Sheep Production in the UK and France - 1996 - Berger/Thomas Overview of the differences between France and the UK dairy industry including AI, farm systems and marketing.
Dairy Sheep Basics for Beginners- 1996 - Thomas - Characteristics of dairy sheep, ewe traits, reproduction, lamb growth, lactation traits, sheep housing, feeding, milking facilities & equipment, economics,
Milking Techniques and Parlour Management - 1995 - Mills - Good overview of parlour systems and management.