Best Milking Practices

Designed for dairy producers and their dairy employees and milkers. Use of consistent milking practices that emphasize teat cleanliness, udder massage and rapid milking is one of the most important jobs on your dairy farm. Consistency of milking affects cow well-being, mastitis risk and milking speed. Consistent use of standardized milking practices such as predipping, forestripping, drying teats with a single-use towel, unit alignment, and rapid unit attaching and detaching at the right time are essential to quality milk production.

This workshop will reinforce best milking practices, including proper stimulation and the essentials of milk let-down. Graphing equipment will be used to demonstrate impact of prepping on milk let-down.

You will learn the following at this workshop:

• New research on milk let-down
• How to milk for speed and teat health
• Best prepping procedure to reduce mastitis
• Tools/tips for monitoring milking performance

Locations/dates/times

Hours: 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Registration for these sessions is at capacity. We are no longer taking registrations for these sites.

• Lebanon County: February 28, 2012. Dutch Way Farm Market Restaurant, 649 E. Lincoln Ave., Myerstown, PA.  REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.

• Lebanon County: March 2, 2012. Dutch Way Farm Market Restaurant, 649 E. Lincoln Ave., Myerstown, PA. REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.
  

Please Note: A portion of this workshop will be on farm. Bring footwear that can be sanitized for biosecurity reasons, as well as warm and clean clothing. We will provide plastic boots for additional protection on-farm.  

 Instructors

• Amber Yutzy, Penn State Extension educator

• Greg Strait, Penn State Extension educator

Agenda

• 9:00: Registration

• 9:30: Best milking practices

• 11:00: Evaluating teat health

• 11:30: Evaluating milk flow using the Lactocorder

• 12:00: Lunch

• 12:30: Travel to farm

• 1:00: On-farm milking practices

• 2:30: Adjourn 

Registration

REGISTRATION IS CLOSED FOR THIS PROGRAM.

Registration fee: $35.00 per person.

50% Off Discount Available: Pennsylvania dairy producers and their dairy employees may attend this workshop for the discounted fee of $17.50, thanks to a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. To receive this discount, recipients must be willing to provide their Social Security Number to the Department of Labor and Industry at the workshop. Those unwilling to provide SSN will be charged the full rate of $35.

Agribusiness professionals are not eligible for this reduced registration fee.

SmartStart Credit