Technical note: Calibration of a simple udder volume measurement technique.

A simple technique to measure udder volume in dairy cows using aluminum foil was developed and used to characterize empty udder volume (EUV) in a dual purpose herd (Bos taurus x B. indicus). The technique was calibrated by comparing cows' actual milk yield with the difference between its EUV and full udder volume (FUV). The resulting relationship was: Actual milk volume = 0.718(+/-0.9568) + 0.954(+/-0.0775) * (Calculated milk volume), R2 = 0.949. In 24 lactating cows, EUV was correlated with calving number and milk yield. Estimated mammary parenchyma productivity was 1.85 +/- 0.117 ml/L of EUV. The technique developed is a quick, cheap and yet precise alternative to measure udder volume.