Cluster slippage

[curriej]

Having problems with clusters slipping off cows and heifers. Cows seem to fall off fairly often but the heifers at the moment are very hard to milk. The vacuum in the parlour is at the recommended level. We are using harmony clusters and feel they are very heavy and that is the main issue for the units falling off and was wondering if there is a reason for them being so heavy and what cluster is the best for being light, easy to use and stays on the cows well cheers

 

[More to life]

I guess you have steel shells as the plastic ones I considered very light

 

[Rossymons]

Liners due for changing?

Although I would still look to change to a lighter claw as well.

 

[alan6430]

We have westfalia classic claws I think and boumatic shells and liners. Seems a good combination.
We bought a new parlour last year and used our old claws, I won’t milk with anything else. Nice and light and pretty small.

 

[More to life]

It’s the time of year it could be fly’s

 

[vantage]

I’ve got harmony claws here, 16 with stainless steel shell and 4 with plastic and stainless, the 4 are new as we extended the parlour. The plastic and stainless are much lighter, so much so that I’m changing the other 16.
Liner change makes a big difference and flies atm are barstewards.

 

[Fergieman]

We have the Delaval MC31 with steel shells, got an extra dump bucket to be a dedicated new calver bucket and got the plastic shells with that but we have since changed it to the steel shells as it wasn't milking out the cows as well.

What works on one farm will not work on another.

 

[Farmer Keith]

The harmony claws are so big if the flys are bothering the cows they can just flick them off. One of the bonuses of putting ADF in here was that we saw the back of them claws.

 

[Water Wheel]

My approach would be-
Renew liners and get vacuum level in shell/ liner checked not just on main guage( dynamic test).
If slippage is a big problem I would push vauum level up as a short term solution while the real problem is sorted, I would think a lot of slippage will cause more problems than a slightly higher vacuum level

 

[SouthWest]

The new envanza cluster is a lot lighter than the stainless steel harmony, it would be better for slippage as well. Just heard delaval have reduced the price to £90 as long as you commit to buying 5 sets of liners.

 

[jimmer]

Can't remember if I've ever publicised my preferred cluster

 

[More to life]

Can't remember if I've ever publicised my preferred cluster

Not this week anyway

 

[vantage]

The new envanza cluster is a lot lighter than the stainless steel harmony, it would be better for slippage as well. Just heard delaval have reduced the price to £90 as long as you commit to buying 5 sets of liners.

Still about £500, shame really as it looks like a good thing.

 

[Gerbert]

I tried sac clusters once, liked them for being very very lightweight, disliked the size, couldn't decently hold it in one hand like I do with my manus clusters.

 

[vantage]

I tried sac clusters once, liked them for being very very lightweight, disliked the size, couldn't decently hold it in one hand like I do with my manus clusters.

A mistake a newbie with Harmony clusters makes is to hold the cluster in their hand. It is then very cumbersome, far better to hold it by the milk and pulsation lines, it is then far more manageable.

 

[Servac]

Clusters are weighted for more complete milking.

 

[vantage]

Clusters are weighted for more complete milking.

How much weight does a calf put on an udder when it’s suckling?

 

[epfarms]

Clusters won’t play as big a part as the right liner/teat fit. All things being equal, a wider bore liner with smaller mouth piece will cause less slippage. If it’s more in heifers is might be the chamber length is too long, are the heifers short-teated?
Get a dynamic test and look at other liners before the investment in new clusters

 

[Servac]

How much weight does a calf put on an udder when it’s suckling?

Dont know if your having a go at me here or not? I was only answering the question as to why clusters are heavy. It may be getting out of fasion today to have heavy clusters due to better liner design and there not being a desire to milk a cow dry anymore, but that is why they were made heavy.

 

[vantage]

Dont know if your having a go at me here or not? I was only answering the question as to why clusters are heavy. It may be getting out of fasion today to have heavy clusters due to better liner design and there not being a desire to milk a cow dry anymore, but that is why they were made heavy.

Not a go, just that the cows of today don’t need a brick inside the cluster to milk out cleanly.