Milking Procedures
Milking cows on the dairy farm is serious business. Proper milking
procedures, combined with a properly designed and maintained milking
system, and environmental conditions that allow cows to remain clean,
dry, and comfortable will assure good milk quality and prevent most
mastitis problems. To minimize mastitis problems and to milk cows more
effectively, strict attention must be paid to cow preparation,
stimulation of milk let-down, and procedures used to apply and remove
teat cups. Remember, most new mastitis infections occur during milking.
Proper cattle handling is essential. Handle cattle gently;
avoid roughness, slapping and yelling. Cows that are fearful of people
are less productive. Fear memories are permanent and cannot be erased.
Cows are most comfortable with a person who is quiet and moves in an
easy, steady manner. Those milking the cows need to offer tender loving
care (TLC).
The goal in milking is to remove the milk from
the cow in as short a period of time as necessary while minimizing
effects on udder health and milk composition. For complete, fast
milk-out, the cow must be stimulated to let down her milk. Sensitive
receptors for stimulating milk let-down are located in the teat skin.
After stimulation of these receptors, a message goes to the brain
causing the release of oxytocin. The hormone oxytocin travels by the
blood stream to the udder and causes contraction of the muscle fibers
that surround the milk producing cells.
Proper udder
preparation and rapid milk let-down go handin- hand. F o l l o w one of
the following routines: D I P , S T R I P, DRY, APPLY or STRIP, DIP,
DRY, APPLY. I can not over emphasize the importance of proper manual
stimulation and stimulation time. Rigorous forestripping IS a required
step in udder preparation. Research and field studies continue to show
that proper forestripping increases milk yield, reduces unit on-time
and results in cows with healthier teat ends. The route of new
bacterial infection into the udder is by way of the teat end. Anything
that can be done to preserve the integrity of the teat end reduces the
rate of new mastitis infections. Getting the cow milked out quickly
with minimal over milking is essential. Most cows should milk out in 4
to 6 minutes. A goal for healthy milking is to leave approximately one
cup of milk in the udder.
Maximum oxytocin concentration in
the blood occurs 1 minute after the beginning of manual stimulation.
Within 1.5 to 2 minutes, oxytocin concentration drops dramatically and
let-down is reduced. For most effective milk let-down, aim to attach
the unit at 1 minute from the time that stimulation begins. Research
indicates that stimulation times of less than 1 minuteor more than 2
minutes are associated with the development of severe, chronic lesions
on teat ends. Don’t prepare too many cows in advance. Hand stimulation
of teats and stripping 3-4 powerful squirts of milk from each teat
increases milk production and milk let-down rates and reduces unit
on-time. Forestripping is also beneficial because it allows you to
detect early stages of clinical mastitis and removes milk that is
higher in bacteria counts. During foremilk stripping, be sure to wipe
dirt off the teat and teat ends with the hand. Wear disposable gloves
and do not squirt formilk on your hands or the cow’s legs. Ideally a
strip cup with a black surface should be used. However, I realize most
parlor milked herds have done away with this time proven management
practice. If foremilk is squirted on the parlor floor, flush it away
with a water hose.
Establish a uniform work routine that
results in smooth cow flow, uses good milking practices, and makes the
best use of your time. Many herd owners have developed, posted and
implemented Standard Operating Procedures that everyone follows at
every milking and that are reviewed with everyone involved at least
quarterly. Remember, cows are creatures of habit and they love boredom.
They respond best to the same routine every milking.
Select
a routine that works best for you while covering all the basics of good
milking. There is more than one routine that will get the job done.
Here is one example routine to use in the parlor.
- Prep cow: forestrip and pre-dip. Dippers are preferred over sprayers unless the use of sprayers result in adequate coverage of backsides and teats. In reality, coverage is generally not very good with sprayers. Pre-dip needs 30 seconds of contact time.
- Follow the same procedure with cow 2 and perhaps cow 3. This generally depends on how clean the cows are coming into the parlor.
- Return to cow 1, dry with a single service paper or cloth towel and attach the milking unit. Be sure the teats and teat ends are dry. Do not use any towel on two cows. Cloth towels do a better job of getting teats dry, are preferred by milkers, may be cheaper, but they must be laundered before the next use.
- Dry and attach milking units to cows 2 and 3.
- Go to next 2-3 cows and follow the same routine.
In summary, maximum milk let-down requires 25-30 seconds of manual
stimulation per cow, followed by attaching units 1 minute after
preparation was started. Strip 3-4 squirts of milk from each quarter.
Use an approved pre-dip. Dry teats, teat ends and the base of the udder
thoroughly. Use a watch and check your timing. The goal is to have all
units attached within 1-1.5 minutes after preparation is started. Align
units properly on the udder. Don’t over-milk or machine strip. Dip
teats as soon as the unit comes off with an effective post-dip. Aim to
dip the entire teat barrel.
Be sure everyone milking cows
realizes that their job is harvesting human food. Food safety is very
much in the forefront in our society. It is the responsibility of the
dairy farm owner and his employees to make certain that a safe,
wholesome product is leaving the farm. Proper milking practices play a
large role in meeting this challenge.
----------------------------------------------------------
Phillip E. Wagner, Dairy Extension Educator, Penn State Cooperative Extension, Franklin County
