When heifers first come into the shed their teats are not accustomed to being milked. While their teats are acclimatising to milking machine it is important to keep machine comfort high and vacuum to the lowest effective level.

Firstly, ensure the teatcup liners are in good condition and that they are not nearing the end of their effective life (2500 cow milkings for rubber liners). Modern liners don’t need “breaking in” before use on heifers -  the liners must be at their most effective for massage of the teats. All liners also develop very small cracks over time, and these cracks can harbour bacteria – including the bacteria that cause mastitis.

Secondly, check that the milking machine has been recently serviced. This will give you confidence that the tight, tender teats of freshly calved heifers and cows are being massaged by effective pulsation and that vacuum is set at the minimum level possible. If you are calving batches of heifers, talk to your milking machine technician about ways to set up to maximise their comfort.

A word of caution for those who have high-line sheds and use test buckets on fresh cows. If the test bucket is used at or below the height of the claw, there is a risk of damaging teat health as the extra vacuum that usually lifts milk into the milk-line will be operating at the cluster. One way of avoiding this issue is to milk the fresh heifers and cows as a separate group through the normal milking system and divert the milk from the vat.

Healthy teats rely on the milking machines operating well and being used correctly. The daily and weekly checks of machine function listed in the Countdown Downunder Farm Guidelines for Mastitis Control will alert you to emerging problems.

Image and caption 

Ensure your milking machine has been recently serviced

Check vacuum for a comfortable, complete milk-out

Countdown Farm Guideline or Technote     
Farm Guidelines 6, 25

Keywords    
milking machines, teat cup liners, vacuum, teat end health

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300