Milking Cows Once Daily Influences Behavior and Udder Firmness at Peak and Mid Lactation

Percentage of cows grazing over a 24-h period. Cows were milked either once (1×) or twice (2×) daily during peak lactation (DIM 52) in a pastoral farming system. Treatments were applied from calving onwards. Means (of 3 d of observation) are presented for the effect of milking frequency (1× vs. 2×).

Percentage of cows grazing over a 24-h period when cows had been milked either once (1×) or twice (2×, TRANS) daily during mid lactation (DIM 153) in a pastoral farming system. Cows were milked either 1× or 2× from the time of calving; half of the cows milked 2× were switched to 1× milking (TRANS). Means represent 3 d before the transition of the TRANS group from 2× to 1× milking (DIM 153 to 155).

Percentage of cows grazing over a 24-h period when cows had been milked either once (1×, TRANS) or twice (2×) daily during mid lactation (DIM 156) in a pastoral farming system. Cows had been milked either 1× or 2× daily from the time of calving. Half of the cows milked 2× then switched to 1× milking (TRANS). Means represent the 7 d after the transition of the TRANS group from 2× to 1× daily milking (DIM 156 to 164).

Percentage of cows with milk leakage upon entry into the milking parlor. Cows had been milked either once daily (1×), twice daily (2×), or undergone the transition from 2× to 1× (TRANS) during mid lactation in a pastoral farming system. The TRANS group switched from 2× to 1× milking on the afternoon of DIM 156; thus, the first milking after the change was DIM 157. Bars represent SEM.

Mean udder firmness (g of force) of cows that had been milked either once daily (1×), twice daily (2×), or undergone the transition from 2× to 1× (TRANS) during mid lactation in a pastoral farming system in New Zealand. The TRANS group switched from 2× to 1× milking on the afternoon of DIM 156; thus, the first milking after the change was DIM 157. Bars represent SEM.