Comparative Assessment Of Breeding And Milking Conditions In Two Large Cattle Herds In Semi-arid Areas (coastal Tunisia)

The purpose of this investigation is to value the conditions of breeding and milking in both large dairy farms of the region of Sousse (Tunisia). For this purpose, 154 lactating cows, Friesian Holstein, conducted in the semi-arid coastal area, were followed. The stabling type adopted in both cases is the straw area, with too insufficient straw-mulching in one and inadequate in the other one. Regarding milking practices, they are often deviated from good hygienic and technical practices in certain actions performed, as the method of the elimination of the first milk jets and the sanitizing teats after milking, with quite enough practical and technical efficiency of milkers. The study of the operating parameters of cows’ milking machine (MAT) revealed especially that the vacuum level (NV), the frequency of pulsation (PF) and the pulsation ratio (RP) are inadequate to the standards respectively 59%, 45% and 23% of cases. At the hygienically level, it was revealed that the automatic cleaning MAT parameters followed are generally respected (especially temperature and circulation time of the washing solution) and the general condition of the teat cup liners, pipelines and seals is, overall, between average and bad.