Íslenskar landbúnaðarrannsóknir - 01.09.1981, Síða 24

22 ÍSLENZKAR LANDBÚNAÐARRANNSÓKNIR
SUMMARY
This article deals with an investigation
into the work involved with milking. A
comparison is made between two milking
systems; a traditional cubicle system and
a milking parlour system.
Time studies show that the milking
process takes more than half the total
time involved with dairy farming. For ex-
ample, with a herd of 30 milking cows, the
milking operation would take the equiv-
alent of 80% of a dairyman’s normal
working year assuming that he worked no
overtime.
Foreign investigations on working en-
vironment and work stress have shown
that working load on the dairyman is
considerably greater while using a cubicle
milking system. The dairyman’s oxygen
uptake while working in a cubicle milking
system is on average 60% higher than that
while milking in a parlour, and his heart
beat frequency increases from 85/min to
110/min. In addition the distance walked
by the dairyman during milking increases
from 6 metres/cow using the parlour sys-
tem to 17 metres/cow while he uses the
cubicle system.
Both Icelandic and foreign results show
that there is no significant difference in
milk bacterial counts according to the
milking system used. On the other hand,
bacterial contamination seems to be re-
lated to hay quality, feeding time and gen-
eral cleanliness.
Results of the time studies show that
when 40 cows are milked, the work in-
volved is similar regardless of whether a
cubicle or a parlour milking system is
used. With a milking herd of less than 40,
the work requirement is greater when a
parlour system is used, but above 40 cows
the cubicle system involves relatively
more work. On average about 70% og the
total milking time in a parlour system is
actually spent milking whereas in a cu-
bicle system this proportion increases to
80%.
In general terms, the cost of establish-
ing a milking parlour system is approx-
imately three times that of a cubicle milk-
ing system.
It is therefore likely that when the
choice is between these two milking
systems, the decision would be based on
the relatively better working conditions in
a parlour system on the one hand, and the
lower costs involved with the cubicle sys-
tem on the other hand.
To equate these two factors, this paper
evaluates improved working conditions in
terms of working hours. It can be hypo-
thesised that the dairyman works at a low-
er rate ofpay in better working conditions
so that the cost of milking is the same with
both systems. With a herd of 20 milking
cows, this hypothetical difference in
hourly pay is 24-25% with 40 cows, the
difference is 11-14%:, and with 60 cows
the difference is 6-8%. In addition to these
factors, there are several disadvantages
with both systems, but consideration of
these has the effect of reducing the relative
cost differences between systems.