Adopting a proactive approach to your farm’s rubberware prevents downtime, protects milk quality, reduces mastitis risk, and supports herd performance from day one.
Well-maintained rubberware is a frontline investment in animal health, efficiency, and your farm’s bottom line. To help you hit the ground running, we’ve put together a new season checklist for your dairy rubberware to start the season on the right foot.
Understanding dairy rubberware
Dairy rubberware is all the rubber components in your milking system that come into direct contact with the cow or milk. That includes:
Milking liners: The only part that touches the teat, so they must fit and seal properly.
Milk and air tubes: Carry milk away and control the vacuum for gentle pulsation.
These components are subject to wear out over time; regular inspection and replacement are necessary to function optimally.
Why rubberware condition matters
Well-maintained rubberware keeps your milking routine running smoothly and your herd healthy. Worn parts can cause:
Vacuum instability and liner slip: Old liners lose their seal, let air in, and trigger sudden vacuum drops – often heard as squawking in the shed. Cup slip leads to incomplete milking and raises mastitis risk.
Slow or incomplete milk-out: Cracked or abrasive liners make milking uncomfortable, so cows hold back milk. Poor teat massage also slows flow, cuts yield and drives up somatic cell counts.
Teat damage and infection risk: Uneven pulsation or rough liner edges can chafe, thicken, or blister teat skin, creating entry points for bacteria.
Bacterial buildup and milk contamination: Tiny cracks in liners and residue inside tubing lead to bacterial buildup. Each milking cycle risks mastitis and contaminating milk.
Quality-related costs: Together, these issues push somatic cell counts higher, reduce milk quality, increase treatment expenses, and erode profits.
By inspecting and replacing key rubberware on schedule to keep the vacuum stable, ensure complete milk-out, safeguard udder health, and protect milk quality.
New season rubberware checklist
Replace milking liners: Change liners every 2,500 milkings (or every six months) to maintain airtight seal and prevent cup slip. Use the Liner Change Calculator to plan your replacement schedule.
Check you’re using the right liner for your herd and milking equipment: Ensure you’re using the correct liner with mouthpiece and barrel size to fit the herd. Skellerup has three mouthpiece/barr sizes for breed-specific fit. Also, the liner tailpiece matches the milk claw s If liners are slipping off the claws, it c be a signal of an oversized tailpiece.
Consider square liners: A study by Lincoln University found square liner improved milk flow and reduced milk time, with no added teat stress.
Check cluster alignment: Make sure each cluster hangs evenly under the udder with no twisted or sagging milk and air tubes to keep the vacuum stable.
Inspect milk tubing and all milk-contact rubber: Check all rubberware that contacts milk (tubing, long tail bends, sleeves, seals, bungs, and milk filter keepers) for any signs of perishing, cracking, or damage. Scrape the inside of the tubing: if black residue appears, it’s time to replace it. Best practice is to replace these components every season or earlier if rubber deterioration is found.
Inspect air tubing & claw tubes: Swap out split or perished air and claw tubes immediately to maintain correct pulsation.
Inspect jetter cups: Check for splits or perishing. If running your finger inside leaves black marks, it’s time to replace them.
Talk to your local TSR or drop into a Farm Source store to organise a free on-farm review with a Skellerup Technical Specialist.
Article supplied by Skellerup