Assessment of manpower efficiency in milking and neonatal management

Abstract

This study presents a comparative analysis of milking dynamics and newborn calf management practices between cows and buffaloes, evaluating the impact of species-specific physiology and milking methodologies on dairy farm efficiency. Results indicate that the time required for actual milking was significantly higher in buffaloes (6.51 ± 0.09 minutes) compared to cows (5.07 ± 0.04 minutes) (p < 0.001), a variation likely attributable to differences in teat morphology and milk let-down reflexes. Despite the higher time investment, buffaloes exhibited significantly greater daily milk yields (6.78 kg vs. 4.94 kg), justifying the additional man-minute requirements. Furthermore, the transition from hand to machine milking resulted in substantial improvements in operational efficiency. Machine milking significantly (p < 0.001) reduced total milking time (5.04 to 3.54 minutes) while increasing milk flow rate (0.89 to 1.29 kg/min) and enhancing overall milk yield. The standardized pulsation mechanism of machine milking systems was also more effective in stimulating the milk let-down reflex than manual methods. Regarding neonatal management, significant differences were observed in critical survival-related practices. Buffalo calves required significantly more time for colostrum feeding and thermal management than cow calves (p < 0.01), whereas routine husbandry practices such as bedding management and navel care did not differ significantly between species. Overall, the findings suggest that adoption of mechanized milking systems combined with species-specific management strategies can optimize labor utilization, productivity, and animal welfare in dairy farm operations.