85 Years Strong: The origin of the Timeless Vision of ‘Milking Gently, Quickly, and Completely’ and how it transforms to a dairy farm today.
Since the early beginning, BouMatic has always held true to a set of fundamental beliefs based upon the BouMatic milking philosophy: milking gently, quickly and completely. All decisions, actions and developments are based on this principle, which in practice translates into numerous concrete benefits for the end-user and the cow. But where does this milking philosophy come from and what does it actually signify?
It all started in the 1930’s with Lawrence Bouma, a young entrepreneur and dairyman, who balanced his time between a dairy supply business and his family dairy farm in Ontario, California. Possessing the mind of an engineer, the skills of a machinist, and a keen eye for the dairy business, Bouma was poised to make significant contributions to the industry.
The 1930’s to 1954: searching for a solution to the mastitis-causing equipment
In the 1930’s many milk producers battled with mastitis in their herds. Being a dairyman himself, Bouma began looking more closely into the re-occurring problems and decided it was time he put his thoughts and ideas into action. Bouma believed that the cause of mastitis related to the way the cow was milked, not only from uncleanliness and bacteria. He sold his dairy business and formulated his plans to find a way to fix the mastitis problem.
His attention was drawn to the work and research of Dan Noorlander, a Veterinary Science Instructor at the University of California, Davis. Dan Noorlander was a herdsman himself on a large 500 cow dairy in California, facing major mastitis problems.
Dan Noorlander was known for his invention of the vented milking claw to reduce its engorgement! He learned us the need to have unrestricted flow of air and milk throughout the milking system ! Later on he developed the CMT test (California Mastitis Test), a rapid test for detecting subclinical mastitis in individual animals.
So when Dan Noorlander and Lawrence Bouma joined forces and did research together, they reached the same conclusion. Mastitis was primarily caused by the cows’ environment, but the quality of the milking equipment, its settings, and the procedures used also played a significant role. This conclusion laid the foundation for the further developments of Lawrence Bouma and his company.
First claw milkers with glass sides
Bouma continued coming up with innovative ideas that helped control mastitis. He created claw milkers with glass sides. These allowed the producer the advantage to see when the cow stopped letting down their milk to stop the milking process. This shortened the time the udder was being milked, providing less strain on the teats.
New alternating pulsator, adapted to the cow
Bouma believed that pulsation was a factor in controlling mastitis. He knew he could develop a pulsator that would work better, be gentler on the cows and increase their production. He developed a new pulsator, that left a moment of rest for the cow to let down their milk. This new pattern of milking would increase the cow’s milk production. As a dairy producer, he wanted a way to get more milk out of the cow, while trying to maximize the cow’s comfort. This began the invention of various types of milking equipment that would change the dairy industry forever. Higher production using this method of milking meant more income for the producer. This theory of milking would be a trademark for Lawrence Bouma.
Causing further strain on the udder was the uneven withdrawal of milk from the cow’s teats. The cow’s teats were not being milked out at the same rate. The front teats finished milking faster than the back teats. Bouma saw the need for a pulsator that could be adjusted with a different pulsation at the front and at the rear. Bouma’s experiments went through 2-3 prototypes until he created the “alternating pulsator”, allowing to manage milking settings according to the cow’s physiology.
Bouma asked a friend to try it on his cows and they were pleased with the results. He began to market the pulsator and sell it to other friends. This invention revolutionized dairying by incorporating the BouMatic milking principle: “The milking machine should remove the available milk from the cow’s udder gently, quickly, and completely.” This principle remains at the heart of every BouMatic product.
Mass production as of 1956
By 1956, Bouma began mass-producing his innovative equipment, naming the company BouMatic—a combination of “Bou” from his last name and “matic” from automatic. BouMatic quickly built a reputation for manufacturing quality, dependable equipment, embodying Bouma’s vision of enhancing the dairy industry.
Continuing the Legacy
Bouma teached us that we need to adapt the equipment to the cow’s physiology and behavior and pulsation forms the heart of every milking installation. 85 years later the newest generation HiFlo Pulsator is still being used in all BouMatic milking systems and all BouMatic Group’s products continue to reflect his commitment to gentle, efficient milking. The milking claws FloStar MAX and Xtreme for example, are considered leading claws in the dairy industry.
In the past 15 years, automated milking has been added to BouMatic’s portfolio. The Gemini Up, the fourth generation BouMatic milking robot, is developed upon the guiding principle of milking gently, quickly and completely.
We may conclude that today Bouma’s pioneering spirit endures. BouMatic continues to push the envelope with the guiding principles centred around the health of the animal, a dedication to scientific research, and the profitability of the milk producer, whether he runs a small family farm, a mid-sized commercial farm or an industrial farm.
MASTERING GENTLE, QUICK, AND COMPLETE MILKING: WHAT DOES IT MEAN AND HOW IT TRANSFORMS TO A DAIRY FARM TODAY
All BouMatic Group’s products continue to reflect to the commitment of gentle, quick and complete milking. This means that every product is developed upon the following 3 principles:
- GENTLY - The “health” of the milking machine will become the fundamental element. Milking must be done in the best conditions by respecting the physiology of the cows, including the teats.
- QUICKLY - The natural effect of oxytocin is optimized to harvest the available milk. This increases through the milk flow while
decreasing milking time. Proper timing of udder preparation and unit attachment improves milk flow by taking advantage of the milk letdown reflex to reduce the average milking duration. - COMPLETELY - All available milk is removed, without damaging the teats and total production is optimized or increased.
Resources:
Boumatic.com
Boumatic University
Daniel Schwartzhoff – Thesis 20xx– “The leadership and legacy of Lawrence Bouma”
In honor of Lawrence Bouma (1917-2017)