25) milking procedure - Babcock Institute - University of Wisconsin ...

Dairy Essentials - Lactation and Milkingparlors, the foremilk can be strippeddirectly onto the floor and flushed awaywith water as soon as it has been observed.—Milk of cows with clinical signs ofmastitis must be discarded.3) Wash teats with a warm sanitizingsolution.—Wash and massage all teats with warmwater containing a mild disinfectant.—Use water sparingly and avoid wettingmuch of the udder as water draining downonto the teats increases the risk of mastitisand the number of bacteria in the milk.—Use a single cloth or paper towel foreach cow. Use of the same cloth from onecow to the next increases the risk ofcontamination and transmission of mastitiscausingbacteria from cow to cow.4) Dip teats with a safe and effectivedisinfectant (optional).—“Predipping,” if allowed by the law, isan effective practice that reduces thenumber of new infections by environmentalmicroorganisms. Only products tested forpredipping should be used. Predippingconsists of immersing the teats in adisinfectant. To be effective, most predipdisinfectants must remain in contact withthe teats 20 to 30 seconds.5) Dry teats thoroughly.—Dry the teat thoroughly. Single usedisposable paper towels are the best way todry the teats, but are expensive. Cloths areacceptable when used only for one cow andprovided they are laundered betweenmilkings. Residual moisture on the teat,and water on the side of the udder, isloaded with bacteria and will eventuallycontaminate the liner, the teat, and the milk,creating risk of mastitis and lowering milkquality. In addition, dry teats minimizeslippage of the milking unit during milking.—The cow’s milk let-down reflex isinitiated as the teats were cleaned,massaged and dried.6) Attach teatcup within one minute.—Attach the milking unit to the teatswithin one minute after the start ofpreparation. Each teatcup should beslipped onto the teat with minimal entranceof air into the milking unit.7) Check milk flow and adjust milkingunit as needed.—Check that milk flows from each teat.—Adjust the position of the milking unit.Rapid and complete milking is possibleonly when the milking unit is properlyaligned. Usually, the front teatcups need tobe positioned slightly higher than the backteatcups. Some milking machinemanufacturers recommend a support armon which to rest the long milk and vacuumtubes and to adjust the milking unit into itsbest fitting position. Improperly alignedmilking units slip often and milk flow maybe restricted, both of which contribute tothe development of mastitis.—Do not leave a milking unit squawking.—Readjust milking unit as needed duringmilking. Air entering the teatcup maycause tiny droplets of milk to back flush athigh speed into the teat canal. Ifcontaminated, these droplets allow bacteriato enter the udder and cause mastitis. Thisprocess occurs more often near the end ofmilking, when milk flow is decreasing.8) At the end of milking, shut off thevacuum before removing teatcups.—Do not overmilk. The majority of cowswill milk out in 4 to 5 minutes. The forequarters are usually milked out earlier thanthe rear quarters, which produce moremilk. Thus the fore quarters tend to beslightly overmilked. Usually, this is not aproblem; one or two minutes of overmilking with a properly functioningmachine does not predispose the udder tomastitis.—Avoid stripping. In the past, it was acommon practice to massage the udderwith the milking machine in place to collect98 The Babcock Institute