Overmilking and Teat Condition

Overmilking is a matter of concern because it may affect teat condition and udder health. The historic background for overmilking is mainly based on the assumption that all milk should be removed from the udder in order to maximise the milk yield. However, breeding for high milk yields has provided cows with a high alveolar capacity, large cistern capacity, and a higher proportion of cisternal to alveolar capacity. The high percentage of cisternal capacity makes cows more efficient as milk producers and less sensible to changes in milking routines and emptying of the udder because the feedback inhibitor is active in alveolar milk only. An overall selection of cows with high milk yields and a relatively high percentage of cisternal capacity may also explain why cows increased their milk yield with good pre-stimulation 30 years ago but not today. Consequently, we may also expect less influence of milk left as strip yield on milk production in modern high-producing dairy cows. Today, there is really no benefit of overmilking since overmilking increases the machine-on time and decreases the capacity of the milking parlor. This paper will focus on the effects of overmilking on teat condition and give suggestions of how to avoid it. A main part of the paper will concern threshold settings for automatic detachment of the milking unit.