How Often Should you Replace Liners?
Liners have a recommended maximum lifespan of typically 900-6000 milkings. The number of milkings is not the only reason why the lifespan of the liner has a limit value. Degeneration of the rubber liner increases the longer it is used. There is no good scientific evidence available about the processes, the speed, or the threshold above which the functioning of the lin-er becomes unacceptable due to degeneration, but, based on our experience and what we’ve seen in the industry, rubber liners can degrade over time, and sometimes before reaching its stated lifespan in number of milkings.
Pay attention to the teat condition!
If teat liners are constantly under tension and not drying up, it has a major impact on the lifespan. You are therefore advised to replace lin-ers after the recommended milkings or 6 after months of use.
Incomplete stripping is the first thing that is visible with liners that approach or even exceed the lifespan limits. This is because the properties of the liners change. The tension of the liner in the cup decreases and as a result, the liner closes earlier and opens later. This shortens the phase in which the milk is released from the udder. This then causes the milk flow to decrease. Due to this lower milk flow, milk will remain in the upper part of the udder, which can cause an increase in the somatic cell count.
Because the liner closes earlier and opens later, the pressure on the teat end will also be prolonged. This can cause hyperkeratosis or other changes to the teat end, which in turn can have a negative impact on milk flow. Not replacing the liners in time is often the primary cause of poor teat condition. And so, to a lesser extent the type or shape of the liner. Situations such as the vacuum under the teat, proper pre-treatment and the collection time also influence the teat condition, but the effects of replacing liners too late are usually greatly underestimated. By milking with a liner for too long, the problems manifest themselves gradually and almost go unnoticed.
Once you are in the risk range of the lifespan of the liner, the consequences that can occur are usually long-term in nature. Repairing the damage incurred takes many times longer than causing it.
Therefore, replace the liners at the proper time and as soon as the num-ber of milkings has been reached.
Quality of Milking!
Replacing liners is also a good time to take a critical look at the quality of milking and identify possible improvements. When choosing a liner, don’t just focus on teat condition.
To make the right choice, the teat must fit well in the liner. After all, forces are exerted on the teat during milking. Consider, for example, the effect of the vacuum under the teat, the milk flow, and the pressure of the liner on the teat during the d-phase (milk phase) of the pulsation.
A logical step, due to the pressure on the teat, is to switch to triangular liners to improve teat condition. A triangular liner generally has a lower pressure on the teat end. The shape is decisive. An additional effect of a tri-angular liner is that what is referred to as “air sucking” is a thing of the past.
The disadvantage of a triangular liner is that it has more openings. If the triangular shape extends to the top of the cup of the liner, the same vacuum level under the teat can also be measured and felt in the cup of the liner. A triangular liner in this shape milks slower compared to a round liner (Haeussermann, 2011).
BouMatic has the solution
That is why BouMatic has developed the TL350 and TL450 liners with a 2,400 milking lifespan. These are specially designed to promote healthy teat condition, while maintaining a high milk flow. The liner combines a round shape in the head, so the teat fits easily into the liner, with a perfect connection to the teat base. This keeps the vacuum in the head of the liner low. The triangular shape in the shaft ensures low pressure on the teat but creates enough pressure to stimulate keratin production. This is very important because it ensures the natural protection of the orifice.
With this development, BouMatic makes it possible to improve the teat condition and maintain milking speed. These kinds of revolutionary product designs are just what you can expect from BouMatic.
BouMatic recommends switching to the TL350 or TL450 liner to promote udder health and milk production.