The MaxT strategy is where cows are milked to a pre-determined time based on their milk volume, resulting in less time in the dairy for staff and cows, without affecting milk production or udder health.
There are three steps to implementing MaxT - calculate, implement and monitor.
Calculate
The first step is to determine your MaxT time. The easiest way to do this is to download DairyNZ’s Milksmart app. By entering the number of litres from the tanker docket, the number of cows going in the vat and your milking start times, the app will calculate the average milk volume per cow for each milking, and the appropriate MaxT time for this volume.
Alternatively, use these tables to calculate your MaxT time manually.
Note: Farmers implementing MaxT for the first time have found it easier to start with using the morning MaxT time and monitoring at cups off as per Step 3.
Implement
Once you have your MaxT time the next step is to implement it in the dairy.
Before milking, make a list of the number minutes it takes for a bail to get from cups on to cups off at a range of speed settings on the platform control console. The fastest way of doing this is to time the number of seconds it takes for each bail to pass, multiply this by the number of bails from cups on to cups off (or the bail before the teat sprayer), then divide this number by 60 to convert it to minutes.
Monitor
The final step is regular monitoring. Once a week at an afternoon milking monitor five groups of 10 cows.When monitoring, look at the cows at the cups-off position (i.e. once the cluster has been on for the MaxT time.
- If most groups have fewer than two cows that are being shortened, you can reduce the MaxT time.
- If most groups have more than two cows that are being shortened, increase the MaxT time.
- If most groups have two cows in every 10 that are being shortened, you do not need to make any changes.