Benefits of the right selection and maintenance of teat cup liners include:
- Improved animal health - ensures teats are not damaged leading to issues with mastitis.
- Increased milking efficiency - the right liners will help to ensure clusters stay on and cows are not slow to milk.
- Reduced stress on animals - ensure the liners are not causing pain which will lead to cow discomfort and animal handling issues.
A good teat cup liner will:
- Provide an airtight seal at both ends of the shell;
- Provide a mouthpiece and barrel of a size that will fit a range of teat shapes and sizes, minimising liner slips and cluster falls and damage which can lead to mastitis;
- Milk out as quickly and completely as possible, minimising teat congestion, discomfort, and injury;
- Be easily cleaned.
How do I maintain my teat cup liners?
A good cleaning system with regular hot alkaline washes is necessary to maintain liner performance. Poor cleaning can result in faster surface deterioration and bacterial growth.\
Liners should be removed from jetter wash systems after cleaning. Leaving liners on any type of jetter between milkings will not allow the system to dry and can increase bacteria growth. Liners left hanging on button style jetters can distort the mouth-piece, increasing slip and reducing liner life.
Liners should not be re-tensioned by pulling them up to a second tension ring after half of their life, they should be replaced as they are worn out. Re-tensioning will only improve milking for a short time. Over-tensioned liners may lead to teat end damage.