| Abstrakt: |
Simple Summary: Teat morphology, milking-induced changes in teat structures, and the connection of these factors to milking parlor settings, milkability, and udder health have been heavily researched and discussed over recent decades. Ultrasonography is an invaluable tool in research; however, its practical application on the farm is limited. Nevertheless, the information it could provide about teat conformation and milking-induced changes would be useful in practice thanks to the close relationship of these factors with udder health and milking effectiveness. This study aims to test if it is possible to predict teat morphology and milking-induced changes based on milkability, which can be automatically assessed, and teat structures, which can easily be measured by ultrasonography. We found that some factors like teat length and canal and barrel thickness are significantly affected by multiple milkability parameters and have the potential to be predicted reliably. The prediction of the teat apex, wall, and cistern might be more challenging, as there is a need to include other effects. Precisely identifying these relations might help to develop practical tools that can be used on dairy farms, and further research into this topic could create a detailed computer model for changes in teat structures during milking and throughout production life without the need for ultrasonography. The study aimed to explore if milkability parameters could reliably predict the dimensions of teat structures and their milking-induced changes. Ultrasonography repeatedly measured the teat structures of 48 Holstein cows from mid to late lactation. We found that milking-induced changes in each structure are affected by different milkability parameters. Regression models for teat canal change and length change were significant, and variability was found to be 46.03% and 21.50%, respectively. Similarly, the teat structure's dimensions significantly affected milkability parameters, which differed for each structure. However, regression models only explained between 3.36% (teat length) and 7.59% (cistern) of variability. The prediction potential, performed based on milkability, is limited if the initial dimensions of structures are not provided. If teat dimensions were measured at the beginning of the production life, automatically collected milkability data could be used to calculate milking-induced changes incurred with each milking and the development of teat dimensions over the production life. If perfected, this tool could provide alerts about critical milking-induced changes and risky teat conformation traits, as they have a proven effect on udder health and are reliable indicators of milking effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
