Milking Machinery Increases Dairy Efficiency

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 65, 9 December 1938, Page 37 (Supplement)

Milking Machinery Increases Dairy Efficiency

Dominion. Rubberware The World’s Best, Say Dairymen

A TREMENDOUS part in the development of the dairy industry has been played by the introduction of milking machinery. In this New Zealand played a pioneer part, and today holds the proud position of the most advanced dairying country in the world. New Zealand-made dairying machinery is world-famous.

Statistics show that in 1936 there were 26,200 milking plants in use in the Dominion, with a total simultaneous cow capacity of 91,350, while 1,377,500 cows were milked twice daily by machinery during that year. At first mechanical milkers were found to injure the cows, either through their sustained suction or by hardening the teats through chafing.. Perfection of the rubberware, which is the most important part of the machine, and provision for intermittent suction, settled these difficulties. ■

The manufacture of rubberware in New Zealand is a comparatively young industry. Rubber, of course, is not a product of New Zealand; it is the Sip of a tropical tree, smoked and dried and vtilcanized. Raw rubber is shipped down to New Zealand to be made up locally. Imports amount to £2700 yearly.

The growth of the industry is reflected in the history of an Auckland firm, which began its activities in January, 1934. At that time it had a factory of 14,000 square feet floor space, fitted with a modern but modest plant. In four years it has expanded to occupy,a building of 40,000 square feet, housing more than four times the machinery.

The first product of this firm, and it is still its principal one, was milking machinery rubberware. After surmounting the grave technical difficulties of this trade, coupled with the usual problems of the establishment of a new industry, the company soon began to produce wares which met with the immediate favour and preference of the farmer. Today its products in this line are regarded as unquestionably leading the way in the dairying industry, and as being the best such wares obtainable anywhere in the world. The firm has since extended its activities to producing many other types of rubberware —tennis balls, cycle tyres, fruit-jar rings, and so on. The milking machine imitates as far as possible the natural drinking action of the calf. The cup which fits the cow’s teat is lined with fine rubber, which alternately squeezes and releases the teat, and with the suction induced by an air-pump extracts the milk in a natural manner—more so than hand-milking, which relies entirely upon pressure. The milk-pail, and the pulsator which regulates the speed of the suction and pressure, are placed between two cows, and the speed is regulated so that the process of milking takes from four to seven minutes

While with small herds, say, 20 cows or less, machine-milking is no more economic than hand-milk-ing ; it is a tremendous saving in dealing with large herds. Moreover, it is more efficient, and as has been said, is better for the cows. The quality of the milk is in no way affected, but it is most important that scrupulous hygiene should be observed, all parts of the machine kept absolutely clean, and those in contact with the milk regularly washed.

There is little doubt that the improvement in New Zealand milking machinery, and the resultant increase in the efficiency of production, have been greatly stimulated by the success of the local rubber manufacturing industry.