How to milk cows? Technology of manual and hardware milking

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Each of us has known the taste of milk since childhood. However, not all city dwellers know how to milk cows. In fact, this is a rather complicated and time-consuming process that requires certain skills. From this article you will learn about the main intricacies of manual and hardware technology.

Preparatory stage

Before milking cows, you need to perform a few simple manipulations. This will allow the animals to prepare for the process itself, save you time and increase the amount of milk received.

Before proceeding directly to milking, you should knead the udder with light massaging movements. It is advisable to start from the top, gradually moving to the nipples. Such a massage is considered an excellent prophylactic to avoid the appearance of mastitis. In addition, such actions contribute to the stimulation of ovarian activity, which, in turn, improves fertilization. It is recommended that nulliparous individuals be massaged a few months before the expected calving and stop it 25-30 days in advance.

How to milk a cow with your hands?

Beforeall you need to do is grease your palms with Vaseline. This will minimize friction and associated discomfort. Taking a nipple in each hand, grasp their base with your thumb and forefinger. These actions will prevent milk from reaching the udder.

After that, you can start alternately clamping the middle, ring and little fingers. Experienced milkmaids are able to perform about a hundred such movements per minute. If you do everything right, then milk will begin to come out of the udder. You can milk the front teats first and then the back teats. And you can capture them diagonally.

Before milking cows, a bucket is placed under the previously wiped udder. To prevent the animal from accidentally knocking over the container, it is recommended to fix it with your feet. To make sure that the cattle is completely he althy, you first need to milk a small amount of milk in a separate container. Blood clots indicate that the animal has mastitis. At the end of the process, you need to lubricate the nipples of the cattle with a special cream or melted butter. This will soften the skin and prevent cracking.

How to milk a cow with a milking machine?

In addition to manual methods, there is also machine technology. If the first option is suitable for small private farms that have only a few animals, then the second is optimal for large farms that contain more than a dozen individuals.

By analogy with the previous method, before milking cows, you need to wash and massage themudder. After that, milking cups, commonly known as breast pumps, are put on the nipples, and the machine is turned on. This is a fairly quick manipulation that saves a lot of time and effort.

At the end of the process, you need to free the udder from the breast pumps and rinse the equipment thoroughly. This procedure can be repeated two or three times a day.

Process optimization

Having figured out how to properly milk a cow, you need to think about organizing this process. This is especially true for large farms. Today, there are two main ways.

In the first case, employees have to work with two milking machines. This allows you to cope with all milk production operations in a timely manner. In the second case, the process takes place in a specially designated room. The whole herd is taken there. Subsequently, the animals are divided into small groups. At the same time, it is important to take into account the amount of milk yield, the rate of return of milk, the period of lactation and pregnancy.

Automated process control

Having figured out how to properly milk a cow with your hands and using a milking machine, it is important to understand how to monitor the progress of this procedure. If everything is more or less clear with the manual process, then the automated one will have to pay a little more attention.

Control is carried out by means of transparent viewing cones of teat cups or special hoses. If an animal for some reasonsuddenly stopped giving milk, it is necessary to lightly massage the udder until the process is fully resumed. This should be done without removing teat cups.

Sometimes breast pumps can fall off your nipples. In this case, you need to disconnect the device from the vacuum, wash the fallen glass, return it to its place and continue the process. To prevent the milking unit from tipping over, it must be placed close to the forelegs of the cow.

Helpful tips

Any experienced milkmaid knows that in this difficult task, not only the right technique is important, but also a good attitude towards the animal. Before starting the process, you need to wash your hands and put on a clean gown. It is also advisable to offer the cattle some kind of treat, scratch its neck and let it sniff you. Established contact will make the cow more calm and docile.

Another nuance of milking is that the animal must see that a person is approaching it. Cows are quite shy, so it is recommended to approach them from the front. For the first time, it is advisable to tie young individuals until they get used to everything that happens. Usually cows adapt quickly, and the need for such control disappears on its own.

One of the main conditions for the care of milking individuals is regular udder massage, imitating the actions of a calf. It helps prevent the development of many diseases, including mastitis.