Temperature-humidity working conditions in a milking parlor for cows

Dimo Dimov, Toncho Penev and Ivaylo Marinov

Abstract: The study was conducted in the milking parlour of a dairy cattle farm with a capacity of 500 Holstein-Friesian cows. The milking parlor was double-8 “Herringbone” type. There were no windows in the premises, and the roof structure was constructed of glass. The temperature, air humidity and Temperature-humidity index (THI) were reported three times during each milking (at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the milking), with the measurements repeated during the morning, midday and evening milking. The highest average air temperatures in the working area of the milking parlor were reached during the summer season for midday milking 27.1°С, and the lowest for the autumn season for evening milking 10.30С. The highest average value of the relative humidity – 89.2% in the milking parlor was reached in the winter season for midday milking, and the lowest in the spring season – 55.7%. Significant differences in the values of these indicators outside and inside the milking parlor were not reported. The values of the air temperature inside the milking parlor were significantly higher than the permissible levels for working environment in the spring-summer season (by 5 – 6°С) and lower in the autumn-winter season (by 4 to 6°C). The lowest values of THI in the milking parlor were reached in the autumn during evening milking – 51.4. The highest values for this indicator were reached during the summer season for midday milking – 75.6. The THI values for most of the year were also above the recommended standards of comfort at workplace. The values reported showed that for 4 – 5 months of the year the milkers were exposed to unfavorable temperature-humidity working conditions.

Keywords: humidity; milkers; milking parlor; temperature; THI

Date published: 2022-06-24