Abstract
This work aims to compare the effects of milking at two vacuum levels (38 and 48 kPa) and three pulsation rates (60, 90, and 120 cpm) on milk production and milk flow characteristics. Six multiparous Maghrebi camels in late lactation and once daily milked were used. The best combination of setting for camel’s milking was high vacuum and low pulsation rate (48 kPa/60 cpm). Milk yield and average and peak milk flow rate were the highest, while milking time was the shortest using this combination of setting (3.05 ± 0.30 kg, 1.52 ± 0.21 kg/min, 2.52 ± 0.21 kg/min, and 3.32 ± 0.31 min, respectively). Lower vacuum level lengthened milking time by more than 100 % and was not sufficient to extract milk correctly (1.69 to 2.48 times less milk yield harvested), suggesting a negative interaction with the stimulatory effect of pulsation. Higher pulsation rates did not better stimulate the camels and induced more bimodality and lower milk flow rates. Animal characteristics and liner/claw design affect machine milking and further investigations must be carried out to verify their effects and to study long-term effect of high vacuum level on udder health and teat condition.
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Acknowledgments
This work was carried out in collaboration between Arid Lands Institute (IRESA, Tunisia) and Agrocampus Ouest-INRA (France). Authors would like to thank the Tunisian and French Authorities for the financial support, Mr Faouzi Souissi and AGRI-MED SERVICES technical personel for thier assistance to machine setting, Mr. Bechir Saafi for his careful assistance to animal management, and Mr. Jacques Portanguen for expert hormonal analysis.
Disclosure
This document was partially funded by the European Union through the PROCAMED Project: Promotion des systemes camelins innovants et des filières locales pour une gestion durable des territoires sahariens: reference number. IB/1.1/493. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of the authors and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.
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Atigui, M., Marnet, PG., Barmat, A. et al. Effects of vacuum level and pulsation rate on milk ejection and milk flow traits in Tunisian dairy camels (Camelus dromedarius). Trop Anim Health Prod 47, 201–206 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-014-0708-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-014-0708-0