I had a professor in college that said, “If you want to see real invention, go to three farms within 20 miles of here and I guarantee you will see at least one example.” He is still being proven correct.
I visited a farm a couple of weeks ago with the purpose of testing the equipment to determine if our liners were performing correctly. I found the equipment to be operating correctly at this dairy, but the innovation my former professor talked about is shown in the couple pictures I posted here.
As milkings get longer, bedding sources get varied, and exposure levels increase, tools to help lower bacteria levels in all areas of the milking parlor are more necessary. The ability to rinse the cluster between cows with a sanitizer solution to reduce bacteria in the liner and milk contact surfaces of the cluster is extremely valuable.
These pictures show one dairyman’s solution to the need, a 1″ PVC line with a valve and a “riser” at each stall. When the claw detaches, the operator simply places one teat cup over the riser when post dipping the cow. When the cows are released, the operator turns the manual valve for 20-30 seconds and flushes all the units with a sanitizer solution. The claws stay in this position and “drip dry” until the prep procedure is completed and units are removed and attached.
Simple, Low Cost and Effective. Really hard to achieve, but again, that professor was right… solutions are available. They just might not be in the library.