MILKING MACHINE FOR HUNGARIAN MERINO

Bak, János Szabó, Zsolt
Hungarian Institute of Agricultural Engineering Dairy DAV Ltd.
Gödöll, Hungary Debrecen, Hungary

ABSTRACT

MILKING OF THE HUNGARIAN MERINO
The milking of sheep has a considerable tradition in Hungary; nevertheless, very controversial discrepancies exist in the number of milked sheep and milk quality reported in the past decades.
The Hungarian Merino is a triple utilization species of sheep and its milk production, when compared to the specialized species, is average (40 to 50 litres) to poor (25 to 30 litres). The sheep milk production and processing is primarily carried out between April and June (70 percent). The most important milk constituents (protein and fat) represent together 68 to 72 percent of the dry matter. The average fat content of Merino sheep milk during the lactation was 6.77 percent ranging (from 5.36 to 8.40 percent).
Until 1988, many farms had milked 800 to 2 000 ewes for several years. Now milking is done mostly on these farms, which have crossbred or clear-blood milking stock, and a private or company-owned and operated cheese producing plant.
Structure of sheep stock according to the type of ownership is as followings: 19 percent co-operatives, 7 percent ventures, 74 percent private (977 000 in 1996; more than 90 percent Merino)

ECONOMICAL BACKGROUND
Many efforts have been made to find a solution for the long-lasting crisis of sheep-breeding in Hungary, but a real breakthrough has not yet been achieved. The essence of the problem is whether any possibilities can be found to carry through the necessary replacement of technological and product systems. First, the special biological characteristics of sheep are taken into account. Secondly, the present situation of sheep-breeding should be considered as a phase in the long term development process of the enterprise. Since the present crisis is one among other similar crisis situations of the development process, it might show common characteristics with those experienced in the past.
All products of sheep milk are highly dependent upon foreign markets, which naturally we cannot control. Hungarian Marino sheep-breeding still has a future if it is operated by using cost-efficient keeping and milking technologies, and if it is kept under extensive conditions as an auxiliary branch based on exclusive sheep pasture on slops and by-products.

SUGGESTED MILKING MACHINE
Our suggestion to our partners for milking is the following:
· Fullwood sheep clusters,
· bucket units,
· monoblock vacuum assemblies,
· yoking stall systems.

The Fullwood sheep Cluster consists of a stainless steel claw, transparent Makrolon shells and long life silicone liners.
Made of quality stainless steel, the Fullwood bucket unit comprises a 20 litres pail with matching lid and handle.
The Fulpuls pulsator preset at 120 pulsations per minute at a 50:50 ratio should be filted. This bucket unit is to operate one or two clusters at a time - when using two clusters, we supply a double entry lid.
Monoblock assemblies comprise a self draining interceptor, base plate with side rails to mount the vacuum pump and motor and a belt guard. The 18 litres and the 80 litres interceptor versions are available.
Galvanised tabular construction with sheeted feedtrough, the Fullwood/Dairy DAV 6 - yoke System has a hinged cover enclosing the yoke mechanism. Each yoke is self-locking, activated by the sheep itself. The system works on a cascade principle, whereby the first animal takes its place in yoke 1 which automatically opens yoke 2 and so on down the line. A turn of a handle releases the animals for the next batch to take their place when feeding/milking is complete; another handle is drawn to return yokes to the closed position. The yoke system can be increased by multiples of 6.

Figure 1. Fullwood sheep cluster

Figure 2. Bucket unit

Figure 3. Monoblock vacuum system

Figure 4. Fullwood/Dairy DAV yoking system