Milking machines for cows: types, device, characteristics

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Agriculture is growing in popularity again among the population, and keeping livestock is considered the norm for many residents of the private sector. At the same time, it becomes easier to buy homemade fresh milk, thanks to the keeping of cows in private farms. For small holdings with one or two cows, manual milking is the best option for maximum profit. In the event of an increase in the number of livestock, additional assistance will be required. To do this, you can hire workers who will milk several cows for a fee, or purchase a milking machine. Milking machines pay off quickly enough and soon go completely positive, unlike workers who will always need payment.

Varieties of devices

Current milking machines may vary:

• appearance;
• capacity;
• design feature and so on.

Given all the distinctive features of each device, it can be determined that they are all united by the principle of operation. Each individual unit is equipped with a low pressure vacuum pump. They also all have the abilityattachment to the udder of a cow using rubber suction cups or special clamps. The latter option is easier to operate and causes absolutely no problems for any farmer. As a rule, the entire milking time takes several minutes, and does not require any labor costs from a person. Milk is expressed into a special container, after which it can be used for further processing or sale.

Division by technical characteristics

All types of milking machines can be divided according to the following criteria:

• by type of milk container;
• by the number of cows served in parallel;
• by type of pump;
• by the number of bars.

In order to make the right choice in favor of the milking machine required for a particular case, each item should be analyzed in more detail.

According to the type of milk container

In fact, in any case, milk always ends up in a container prepared for this. The only difference is how large this container is and whether it is part of the milking machine itself. The most commonly used installations with built-in cans, which are ideal for milking small livestock. For large farms, there are milking machines that collect milk from several cows at once through pipes into one large container. In this case, the container itself can be located in an adjacent room, and the number of simultaneously served cows is the following characteristic.

By the number of cows served in parallel

Here, the previous point should be taken into account first of all, since milking machines for private small herds are not able to serve several cows at the same time. They are designed to work with only one cow, or at best with two. Large machines for farms are capable of milking several dozen cows at the same time. Of course, the cost of such a device will be appropriate, but when working with large volumes, you will save on other things and much more, so the benefit is obvious.

By type of pump

This classification divides all cow milking machines into three types. Pumps can be:

• rotary;
• piston;
• membrane.

The last option is the most popular, since its price is the lowest compared to pumps of another type of action, while such a device can only work with a small number of cows at the same time. It turns out that milking machines based on a diaphragm pump are the best budget option for individual use.

To simultaneously serve a small number of cows, you will need to purchase a more powerful apparatus with a piston pump. Of course, along with increased power, it also has one major drawback - the device is very noisy during operation, which can disturb cows. Also, some of the minuses include its dimensions.

The best option for silence during milking andhigh productivity of the installation will be a device with a rotary pump. They are further divided into dry and oily, but in any case will be the best compared to other types.

By number of bars

The power of the unit and its weight depend on their number. Three-stroke, of course, is more massive, but at the same time more productive, while two-stroke is the opposite.

Separation according to the principle of operation

All characteristics of milking machines determine their operation based on the creation of a vacuum into which milk is drawn from the udder. At the same time, the vacuum in the installation can be constant or often changed, due to which the peeling occurs.

In the first case, the milking is carried out in a matter of minutes and very high quality, without leaving a drop, while completely safe for the cow. Apparatuses with this principle of operation are expensive, and the vacuum in them is created using a centrifugal pump or a pulsator. In another version, there is essentially no vacuum, and milking is carried out due to the movements of the piston pump. It is he who creates the pressure surges that ensure the pumping of milk. Such units are noticeably cheaper, but the quality of their work is not always perfect.

Mobility

Depending on the dimensions, the machine can be classified as a mobile milking machine or a stationary one. The latter are used very rarely today, since it is very inconvenient to work with them. Mobile devices are additionally equipped with small wheels andcan be used with various dimensions of the farm. They move easily around the farm and are easy to operate.

Real consumer reviews

From the foregoing, it follows that it simply does not make sense to purchase this installation if there are one or two cows on the farm, there are many reasons for this, and first of all, a long payback period.

To serve a larger number of livestock, the benefit in purchasing the device is obvious. First of all, the device quickly pays for itself. It also helps to get more free time for the farmer, which was previously spent on manual milking of all cows. Given the speed of work, together with simplicity and practicality, it is possible to reduce the number of workers previously involved in milking. This will further reduce the cost of paying salaries to employees.

The positive qualities of milking machines include the high quality of their work, which allows you to get absolutely all the milk from a cow in a short time.

Of course, there are also many dissatisfied with the purchase of such a unit. First of all, many complain about the high cost of milking machines. In addition, negative reviews can be provoked by the wrong selection of the device for a particular farm. Since there are a lot of their varieties, in order to choose the right one, all their features should be taken into account.

Of course, the purchase of a milking machine should be accompanied by a preliminary consultation with a professional or at least an independent studyall characteristics of this type of technology. Therefore, before purchasing the installation, weigh the pros and cons. And most importantly - calculate whether the purchase of the device is financially beneficial for you.