Mastitis and milking machines

Copyright 2012

LR GEHM

CoPulsationTM Milking System

1

CoPulsationtm

Milking System

The only humane way to milk a dairy animal with a machine

Ferdinand Veenstra

Dairy Solutions

www.dairysolutions.nl/

www.CoPulsation.com www.Facebook.com/CoPulsation

[email protected]

CoPulsation is a trademark of LR Gehm LLC

Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


Mastitis – Root Cause

• Bacteria responsible for udder infections

• Milking machine is the delivery system

– Core of the milking machine (liner, pulsation) provide

the cow to milking system interface

– The design and performance of milking system effect

teat condition, milking action and cow behavior

– Evidence proves that an incorrectly designed milking

system significantly increases mastitis

• Creates environment for bacteria to enter the teat sinus and

udder

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Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


Milking Machine – Delivery System • Dr. Derek Forbes research proves liner pinch forces bacteria up teat

sinus

• Cornell University research proves conventional pulsation causes 16X

more Staph aureus infections than CoPulsation

• Dr. Sybren Reitsma shows short D phase increases new infections

• Teagasc proves teats swollen and injured by conventional milking

machines

• More claw vacuum fluctuation events with alternating and sequential

pulsation

• “the milking machine is one of the best washing machine ever built,

the teats are bathed with milk during the milking process” – Dr. Andy

Johnson: 2000 NMC Annual Meeting

• Atlantic Vet College research shows >23% of teats not sealed 6 weeks

after dry off

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Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


Dr. Forbes Research

• Milk samples extracted from teat end

and directly from teat sinus

• Bacteria present in teat end for many

days – no mastitis

• Teat end pinched by liner – forced

bacteria up sinus causing new

infection

• The pinching action of conventional

milking machines can be felt with

your fingers in the liner

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LR GEHM


Cornell University Research • Compared GEA to CoPulsation

• 30 best cows from CU herd

selected

• 15 cows in each group milked 6

months and switched

• First group milked by

CoPulsation started with 5 Staph

A cases caused by GEA

• Final result: 1 new Staph A

infection with CoPulsation and

16 new infections with GEA

• Supports Forbes research

• Study duration to short for teat

health improvement based on

averages

5

.02 new IMI per 100 d .31 new IMI per 100 d

.31/.02 = 16 16X MORE NEW INFECTIONS with conventional

Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


Reitsma Research – D duration • Compared infection rates for

different liner closure (D phase)

durations

• Short D phase causes more

infections

Consider the following:

• Anatomy of teat and time for blood

recirculation requires D phase of .4

to .5 seconds

• Example: tightly squeeze your

forearm, release and note time it

takes for redness to go away

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Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


Teagasc Research

• Research at Teagasc in Ireland

proves conventional milking

machines cause teat swelling

and teat sinus injury

• Evidence that conventional

milking machines cause the teat

to swell (congestion) while

milking and experience

physical damage to the teat

canal and teat sinus

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Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


Simultaneous vs. Alternating Pulsation

• 2X more vacuum fluctuation events with alternating

• Claw vacuum fluctuation during milking interrupts

milk flow and causes backwash

• Alternating originally designed to allow front

quarters to milk 50:50 and rear 60:40 and never

reduced mastitis as claimed – no one uses alternating

pulsation as originally intended

• Claw vacuum stability with simultaneous is as good

or better than alternating with proper venting and

claw volume

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Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


Objective Observations • Many facts can be visually observed proving that

conventional milking machines cause physical harm, pain

and result in high rates in new infections

– Teats soaked in milk – backwash

– Teats swollen and reddened

– Teat sinus injury – lightly pinch and roll teat end and fell scar

tissue within teat

– Milk flow never stops during the rest phase, it only slows down

– Feel pinching action of liner with your finger

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Abundant research and observations exist to support the fact that conventional

milking machines are the delivery system for bacteria causing the conventional

milking system to be responsible for new infections

Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


Dairy Industry has focused on the

bacteria and cleanliness to solve mastitis

• Impact: US cull rate doubled in 50 years

• Average US dairy cow production life = 1,8 lactations

Replacement Rate

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Year

Perc

en

t R

ep

laced

Growing herd size,

conventional milking

machines and following

the NMC 5-step process

has resulted in a cull

rate of nearly 50%

Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


CoPulsation – Eliminates the

delivery system

• The CoPulsation Milking System solves the

problems created by conventional milking

machines

– Simultaneous pulsation with a long D phase

– Eliminates liner pinch

– Eliminates backwash

– Eliminates teat swelling, injury and pain

– Provides a true rest phase with no milk flow

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LR GEHM


Conventional Pulsation

Fresh air enters top

A and C phase: 120 to 160 millisecond range

High restriction to fresh air flow

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LR GEHM


CoPulsation

A and C phase: 40 to 60 millisecond range

Eliminates restriction to fresh air flow

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LR GEHM


Performance Difference

Liner crawl

Pinched teat

Milk flow

Vacuum pull

No liner crawl

Massaged teat

No vacuum

No milk flow

Rest Phase

Comparison

Conventional CoPulsation

Healthy teat canal Teat canal stressed and

damaged with scar tissue

Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


Conventional Milking Machine Reverse

Milking Action

• Research by Dr Derek Forbes

demonstrated that the pinching

action forces non-motile

bacteria up the teat canal

• New infections result

• Liner pinch can be felt with

your finger

Bacteria forced up

Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


CoPulsation – Gentle Massage

• Liner closes about full

length of teat

• Eliminates pinch

• Provide gentle

compressive massage

– similar to calf or

hand milking action

Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


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Recognize Damage of Conventional

Milking Machines

Cow at Eurotier 10

Cow featured in ad for

California Dairy

From website for conventional milking machine company

Boumatic Advertisement – udder damage obvious

Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


Evidence of performance

difference with CoPulsationtm

• Change in liner wear

• No teat swelling

• No teat wetting

• Improved teat end health

• Reduced SCC

• Increased production

• Increased duration of peak flow rate

Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


Summary • Significant proof exists showing that conventional milking

machines are the delivery system for mastitis

• CoPulsation solves every problem caused by conventional

milking machines

• Quality milk, low antibiotic use and low cull rates can only

be achieved with CoPulsation

• It is important that the other parts of the milking facility be

correct – vacuum regulation, detacher settings, pipe size

and design

– Milk must flow freely from the cow

– Vacuum supply must be proper and consistent

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Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


Lameness – a result of mastitis

• Mastitis causes udder

pain

• Udder pain causes

cows to hold feet

further apart – Utrect

Mastitis Conf. 2011

• Incorrect hoof

placement damages

hoof causing lameness

Farmer in Ireland first noted significant hoof improvement with CoPulsation. Recent email from Ireland:

“Don’t forget to tell the Dutch about the cows feet ,that is a big problem as well over there”

Typical lame cow

Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


Known Problems with Conventional

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Alfa Laval Agri

United States Patent 5,697,323

Issued December 16, 1997

In milking machines currently marketed by Alfa Laval, the

pulsation chamber…. The relatively strong milking vacuum is

needed primarily for ensuring a safe attachment of the teat cups to

the teats and, secondary, for achieving a rapid milking and a high

milk yield. However, a disadvantage of such a

strong milking vacuum is that it might treat the teats roughly,

especially at the beginning and at the end of the

milking interval when there is no or insignificant milk flow

through one or more teats. Attempts have been made

to eliminate this disadvantage by milking according to

different…

WestfaliaSurge patent application:

During traditional manual milking, which is a pressure

milking

method, almost the entire amount of milk present in the

udder can be milked. In the

machine suctional milking method there is a problem,

first of all some

quarters are milked too long although no more milk flow is

present, and, on the other

hand, in individual quarters, the milking process is ended

too soon and

therefore residual milk remains in the udder.

Delaval, WestfaliaSurge, Boumatic and others have known for many years that problems

exist with their milking machines. They have made many attempts to solve those

problems with no success.

Goran Olofsson, past VP Engineering for Delaval: “you have done what I have tried to

do for over 25 years”

Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


Liner Wear Evidence

• Massage action from

CoPulsationtm changes

liner wear

• Liner wear shows

outline of teat

• Conventional

pulsation does not

change liner shape Left two liners used with

CoPulsationtm, right liner used with

conventional pulsation

Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


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Teat Study

Before milking: 30 mm After milking: 25 mm

Details published in International Dairy Topics

Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


Teats not milk-wetted

• Teats wetted with milk during

milking process – contaminated

with bacteria

• “ Since the milking machine is

one of the best washing

machine ever built, the teats are

bathed with milk during the

milking process. ” – Dr. Andy

Johnson, 2000 NMC Annual

Meeting

• CoPulsation does not wash the

teat in milk

Glooved hand applied to teat just after machine removal –

no milk present on teat

Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


Improved Teat End Health

• Teat end condition

improved as pinching

is eliminated

• Teat canal health also

improved as scar

tissue no longer

created

Cow teat with

Delaval

Same teat with

CoPulsation 8 weeks

later

Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


SCC Reduced

• SCC reduced as

animals are

consistently milked

out each milking

• Bacteria not forced up

teat canal

• Teat canal healthy and

closes after milking

SCC data – original test farm

SCC Data for small commercial herd

Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


Udder Infections Reduced

• Small commercial

herd

• Multi-year side-by-

side study

• Significant reduction

in both contagious and

environmental mastitis

Milking System Cow Number Pathogen

CoPulsationtm

Milking System 1 none

CoPulsationtm

Milking System 2 Staph aureus

CoPulsationtm

Milking System 3 Strep Species

CoPulsationtm


CoPulsationtm


CoPulsationtm

Milking System 6 Staph species

CoPulsationtm


CoPulsationtm


CoPulsationtm

Milking System 9 Staph species, C. bovis

CoPulsationtm

Milking System 10 Staph species

Conventional 11 Staph aureus, Staph species Conventional 12 Staph aureus Conventional 13 none

Conventional 14 Staph aureus, Strep species, G. bacillus Conventional 15 Staph aureus, Staph species Conventional 16 Staph aureus Conventional 17 Staph aureus, C. bovis

Results published in International Dairy Topics

Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


Increased Production

• Production and

butterfat increase with

full milkout

• Empty udder keeps

animal at peak

production longer

• Highest butterfat in

last milk removed 800 cow herd: within two months production increased

2.2kg and butterfat increased .3% yielding increased revenue

of $8000US per month

Goat herd consisting of 54 goats: 40600kg in 2010, 50430kg

in 2011 providing a 20% increase

20000

20500

21000

21500

22000

22500

23000

23500

1 4 7

10

13

16

19

22

25

M o n th s

He

rd A

ve

rag

e

Co P ulsa tio n Ins ta lle d

Co nve ntio na l

R e -ins ta lle d

Production data: GEA to CoPulsation to GEA

Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


Additional Herd Production Data

Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


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Milk Flow Rate

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

00.

661.

33 22.

663.

33 44.

665.

33

Time, Minutes

Po

un

ds

, M

ilk

0

1

2

3

4

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00.

661.

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665.

33 66.

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Time, Minutes

Po

un

ds

, M

ilk

Conventional CoPulsationtm Milking System

teat damage and irritation damage and liner crawl

CoPulsation provides a sustained peak let down. Liner crawl and liner

squall eliminated as cows milk quickly in comfort

CoPulsation cows achieve milk flow rates as high as 4.5 to 6 kg/minute

12.3 kg yield 11.7 kg yield

Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


Cull Rate Reduced

• Cull rate reduced with

fewer udder infections

– 20 per month prior

– 12 per month after 7

months

• Udders remain healthy

• Cow remains healthy Data for 400 cow herd switching to CoPulsation

Monthly cull rate data

Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


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Scientific Evidence • University study (Journal of Dairy Science)

– 16:1 reduction in new Staph aureus infections

– Study duration (1 year) too short to evaluate environmental mastitis, more time required to improve teat canal health

• Multi-year side-by-side study (Int’l Dairy Topics) – Small commercial herd

– University based data – SCC levels reduced 75% with CoPulsationtm

– Overall mastitis levels reduced 50% with CoPulsationtm

– Contagious mastitis virtually eliminated with CoPulsationtm

• Teat condition study (Int’l Dairy Topics) – No teat swelling caused by CoPulsationtm

• Milk flow study (Int’l Dairy Topics) – Peak flow rate maintained for about 2/3 of milking duration to only about 1/3 of

duration for conventional

– Milking time about 10% to 20% faster with CoPulsationtm

Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


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Performance benefits • Compressive liner action massages teat for a gentle, pain free milking

– No teat swelling, no canal damage, no milk wetting of teat

• Eliminates teat end pinching by liner, prevents reverse milking action by not forcing bacteria through the teat canal

– Calm cows, no liner crawl/squall

• Milk flow fully stops during rest phase allowing tissue around the teat canal to rest

– No teat canal damage, canals close quickly

• No milk back flow

– Prevents bacteria contamination of teat

– Teats dry when machine is removed

• Efficient milk let down

– Longer duration at peak let down

– Quick completion of milk out works well with auto-detachers

Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


CoPulsation Milking System

• Pulsators

• Electronics

• Shells

• Liners

• Splitter Tees Parlor Style

Pipeline Style

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LR GEHM


Installations

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LR GEHM


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Cows milked with CoPulsationtm

Even udders that remain high and not dropped down

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LR GEHM


Goats Milked with CoPulsationtm

• Goats milk quickly, no stepping, no pulling down on cluster

• SCC reduced, less than 500,000 all year achievable

• Increased production, less dumped milk

– 20% increase in production for John Hall herd, SCC data below

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

SCC 2010

SCC 2011

2010: GEA 2011: CoPulsationtm Milking System

Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


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Questions to ask

• How will you cut antibiotic use by 50% in

two years?

• How will you increase the average life of a

dairy cow by 2 lactations by 2020?

• How will you prevent udder and teat

damage?

Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


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Summary

• Consider two conclusions:

– Mastitis is a symptom of management (Utrecht

Mastitis Conference 2011)

– Mastitis is a result of a failure to provide the

cow with the proper milking environment

• Given the information provided, which

conclusion best supports the evidence and

experience on dairy farms?

The dairy industry has taken the path of blaming management for 50 years

and still mastitis is the most expensive problem on the dairy farms

Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


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CoPulsationtm Milking System

Making quality milk

a priority!

Improves udder health of dairy herd in an

animal friendly manner

Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


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References

1. Machine Milking, Irish Veterinary Journal, Volume 56, January 2003, author:

Dr Eddie O’ Callaghan, Teagasc, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co Cork, Ireland

2. Effect of liner design, pulsator setting, and vacuum level on bovine teat tissue

changes, Irish Veterinary Journal, Volume 57, May 2004

3. Fluid Dairy Product Quality, Boor, Journal Dairy Science 84:1-11

4. See CoPulsation.com website and click on “Mastitis Conference Information

& Research”

Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


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Conventional milking machines

proven to cause problems • Teat damage & teat swelling

– Irish studies show conventional milking systems cause teat swelling and physical damage (references 1, 2)

• One in four teat canals remain open during the dry period per Randy Dingwell, Atlantic Vet. College

• Teats wetted with milk and bacteria

– “Since the milking machine is one of the best washing machine ever built, the teats are bathed with milk during the milking process.” Dr. Andy Johnson, NMC meeting 2000

• More mastitis since converting from simultaneous to alternating pulsation (USDA replacement data)

• Teat ends pinched during liner closure (Dr. Forbes)

– Pushes bacteria up teat canal

Copyright 2012

LR GEHM


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Studies Proving Problems

• R. Dingwell – teat ends do not close

• Teagasc – teat swelling, canal damage

• U of Wash., Fox – Staph aureus spread

• G. Mein – flow rate slow down

• Forbes – reverse milk action

• U. MI – increase mastitis, lameness w/robot

• Udder dissection video

Food

Mastitis and milking machines