Effect of low frequency oscillations during milking on udder temperature and welfare of dairy cows

Abstract The study aimed to investigate the effect of low-frequency oscillations on the cow udder, milk parameters, and animal welfare during the automated milking process. The study’s objective was to investigate the impact of low-frequency oscillations on the udder and teats’ blood circulation by creating a mathematical model of mammary glands, using milkers and vibrators to analyze the theoretical dynamics of oscillations. The mechanical vibration device developed and tested in the study was mounted on a DeLaval automatic milking machine, which excited the udder with low-frequency oscillations, allowing the analysis of input parameters (temperature, oscillation amplitude) and using feedback data, changing the device parameters such as vibration frequency and duration. The experimental study was performed using an artificial cow’s udder model with and without milk and a DeLaval milking machine, exciting the model with low-frequency harmonic oscillations (frequency range 15–60 Hz, vibration amplitude 2–5 mm). The investigation in vitro applying low-frequency of the vibration system’s first-order frequencies in lateral (X) direction showed the low-frequency values of 23.5–26.5 Hz (effective frequency of the simulation analysis was 25.0 Hz). The tested values of the first-order frequency of the vibration system in the vertical (Y) direction were 37.5–41.5 Hz (effective frequency of the simulation analysis was 41.0 Hz), with higher amplitude and lower vibration damping. During in vivo experiments, while milking, the vibrator was inducing mechanical milking-similar vibrations in the udder. The vibrations were spreading to the entire udder and caused physiotherapeutic effects such as activated physiological processes and increased udder base temperature by 0.57°C (p < 0.001), thus increasing blood flow in the udder. Used low-frequency vibrations did not significantly affect milk yield, milk composition, milk quality indicators, and animal welfare. The investigation results showed that applying low-frequency vibration on a cow udder during automatic milking is a non-invasive, efficient method to stimulate blood circulation in the udder and improve teat and udder health without changing milk quality and production. Further studies will be carried out in the following research phase on clinical and subclinical mastitis cows.