Buffaloes have been used for milk production for centuries. They have not been subjected to the same upgrading and breeding like cattle of the western world. However, the buffalo is an excellent milk producer, given the correct circumstances. Milking the buffalo is not a difficult task. One should, however, take care not to implement cattle milking techniques directly on the buffalo cow.
Anatomy of the buffalo udder and teat
The buffalo has an udder similar to the cattle in the gross anatomy. Generally, their teats are larger than those of cattle. According to several studies, cylindrical forms of the teats are most common in the Murrah breed. The front teats are, on average, 5.8 cm to 6.4 cm long and their diameter is approximately 2.5 cm to 2.6 cm. Respective figures for the hind teats are 6.9 cm to 7.8 cm and 2.6 to 2.8 cm.
The hind quarters of the udder are slightly larger than the front ones and contain more milk. The approximate ratio is 60:40 (hind:front), as for cattle. It takes a longer time to milk the hind quarters.
The anatomy of buffalo teats is slightly different from cattle teats. The epithelium of the streak canal is thicker and more compact in buffaloes than in cattle. The sphincter muscle around the streak canal is thicker in buffaloes than in cattle. More force is therefore required to open the streak canal. The teat sphincter tonus has been reported to be at least 400 mmHg negative pressure in buffaloes. This is the cause of buffaloes being ”hard milkers”.
In cattle, the milk is synthesized in the alveoli and is periodically transferred to the large ducts and cisterns of the mammary gland and the teat. This is not the case in the buffalo, instead, the milk is held in the upper, glandular part of the udder, in the alveoli and small ducts. Between two milkings there is no milk stored in the cistern. Hence, buffaloes have no cisternal milk fraction. The milk is expelled to the cistern only during actual milk ejection. The same phenomenon is seen in Chinese Yellow cows and Yaks.
Because of the absence of cisternal milk between milking, in the teat cisterns, the teats are collapsed and soft before let down. This is contradictory to the bovine cow, where the teats can be very hard and firm due to the presence of milk in the teat cistern.
Physiology of milking
Buffaloes are said to be slow and hard milkers because of their slow milk ejection reflex and their hard teat muscle sphincter. The milk ejection reflex appears to be inherited to some extent but it is also a product of the environment. In buffaloes, the let down time averages 2 minutes but may be as long as 10 minutes. The reasons for this are not fully understood.
One reason for the longer let down time of milk for buffaloes is probably the different anatomy of the udder as compared to the dairy cow. In the buffalo, the udder cistern is absent or has a very small volume and therefore there is little or no cisternal milk available. This furthermore leads to no intramammary pressure in the cistern which would otherwise help the milk flow. In cattle, the milk is already stored in the large cistern, and milk is available for extraction immediately after preparation. The high intramammary pressure contributes in pressing out the milk.
The intramammary pressure increases at the onset of milking. It is highest during the peak flow and decreases there after to zero at the end of milking. The pressure is higher in buffaloes during milking than in cattle. The intramammary pressure varies between individuals and milkings. Its’ level is not always indicative of a high milk production.
Let down time seems to be negatively correlated to milk yield. Let down time is shorter in early and middle stage of lactation as compared to in late lactation. A faster flow of milk is observed when the yield is higher.
If buffaloes are carefully selected for yield and ease to milk, improvement in these characteristics is possible.
Machines for milking buffaloes
Since the udder and teats in buffaloes are different compared to cattle, milking machines for cattle have to be modified in order to fit buffaloes. In general, a heavier cluster, a higher operation vacuum and a faster pulsation rate is required. Results from recent studies in India indicate that it might be possible to reduce the cluster weight and the frequency of liner slip by applying an appropriate combination of liner design and cluster weight.
It is not only the total weight of the cluster that is important, but also the distribution of its weight on the udder. Unequal weight distribution can cause uneven milk output. The long milk and vacuum tubes should be aligned and stretched to ensure equal weight distribution of the cluster on the udder.
Milking characteristics depend upon vacuum levels and pulsation rates among others. Studies on Egyptian buffaloes revealed that a vacuum of 51 kPa and a pulsation rate of 55 cycles/min led to much longer milking times than a vacuum of 60 kPa and a pulsation rate of 65 cycles/min (6.21 min. compared to 3.18 min.). The higher vacuum level, however, caused a significant increase in the somatic cell counts. Highest milk yield within an acceptable time were found when using 56 kPa and 65 cycles/min. In all trials a pulsation ratio of 50:50 was used. Studies in Pakistan indicated that the pulsation rate and ration should be 70 cycles/min and 65:35 respectively for Nili-Ravi buffaloes.
In Italy, the majority of farms use the same machines for both buffaloes and cattle. It is a simple ”cattle machine” with one vacuum level operating at approximately 40 cm Hg.
In India, recent trials have been made with milking with Duovac from Alfa Laval Agri. While milking with the Duovac, the impact of milking on empty teats is minimized. The Duovac is a milk-flow controlled milking system which synchronises with each individual animal's milk ejection and milk flow pattern. Milking commences on low vacuum (vacuum level of 38 kPa, 48 cycles/min pulsation rate and pulsation ratio of 65:35) and when the milk flow from the udder increases above 0.2 kg/min, the vacuum automatically increases to the normal milking vacuum level (vacuum level of 55 kPa, 70 cycles/min pulsation rate and pulsation ratio of 65:35) and stays that way until the milk flow falls below 0.2 kg/min. The DuovacTM was found physiologically correct for the animal since it helps in gently stimulating let-down and is also more gentle to the teats after the peak flow.
You are visitor number
Please post your comments and suggestions here
Disclaimer : The information on this site is meant as an aid to students and fellow veterinarians and should be used for educational purposes only. The views expressed are solely that of the author and should not be construed to be that of his employer or any other organization.