How To Milk A Cow

The kinfolk milk moo-cow : It ’s an iconic symbol of rural support , though many small - scale farms have veered away from raising a dairy farm cow for their family’smilk , butter andcheeseneeds . While adding a family dairy cow with its traditional twice - day-to-day milkings to your farmstead will surely add another chore to your to - do list , it can be a great path to keep tab on what ’s in your kitchen ’s dairy product and help you transition to a more sustainable , self - supporting lifestyle .

The first step to experience calibre milk from your dairy cow is ensuring you feed it a nutritious diet be of water , roughage and metric grain . give your moo-cow enough clean water is of utmost importance , as milk is roughly 87 percent water . Allen Young , dairy farm specialist at the Utah State University Cooperative Extension , recommends providing up to 30 gallons of urine per day and serving it at tepid temperatures if possible .

If you ’re able-bodied to pasture , offer each dairy farm moo-cow with 1 to 3 acres . Rid the pasture ofpoisonous plantsand plants that will corrupt the milk , such as wild onion plant , advises Robby Dale Estes , assistant dairy handler at Eastern Kentucky University ’s Stateland Dairy . In the outcome that you’re able to not crop or wintertime climate requires you to leave feed , supplying qualityhay , like alfalfa or clover , as it can bestored longerthan other roughage , like clavus silage . A 1,000 - pound cow will consume about 2 to 2½ pounds of hay day by day , Young say , but this will not fulfil all its nutritional need . assail out your moo-cow ’s diet with a 16- to 20 - percent - protein food grain . Your moo-cow will require slightly less than 3 pounds of texture for each gallon of Milk River it produces daily .

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Another key ingredient in getting tone Milk River is making sure the moo-cow is up - to - date on its vaccinations , such as TB andbrucellosis . Talk with your veterinary surgeon about what inoculation are necessary and good for milk cows . Finally , ensure all the supply you are usance during milk are clean . Use a plastic or untainted - steel bucketful , Estes say , and sanitize it with whitener before each use .

Milking Instructions

Step 1

Tie the cow in a clean , dry , stress - free environment .

Step 2

Before milking your moo-cow , observe the bag and teats for any signs of mastitis , such as swollenness or fever . Mastitis is a disease in dairy cows that can be triggered by a figure of unlike pathogen and that can affect the product and timbre of milk . Often mastitis symptoms are n’t readily apparent through visual or tactile observation , but it ’s best practice to know what wait normal for your moo-cow and what could besymptoms of disease .

Step 3

reave out each teat by do three to four squirts each . ( See steps 6 and 7 for proper technique . ) Stripping provide you to remove dirt and bacteria from the teat as well take care for signs of infection , such as clumps , clear milk and lineage , any of which could betoken mastitis .

Step 4

Apply a pre - milking disinfectant to the mamilla to serve prevent mastitis . go away the disinfectant on the teats for about 30 seconds . ( There are unlike types of pre - milking disinfectants on the market , so check that to follow the manufacturer ’s instructions for use . )

Step 5

Wipe the pre - milking disinfectant off of each teat with a undivided - habit towel .

Step 6

Now you ’re quick to start out milking . right carry the teat by wind your thumb and index finger around the base of the teat . This captures the milk in the teat .

Step 7

Loosen the grip of the finger and ovolo , and gently squeeze to unfreeze the Milk River .

Step 8

recapitulate step 6 and 7 on each pap . If there is no calf , milk until the udder is entirely depleted of milk to prevent mastitis .

Step 9

Step 10

Leave the post - milking root on the teats . Do not remove with a towel .

Raw Milk vs. Pasteurized Milk

One highly controversial topic surrounding milk is raw versus pasteurization .

“ If you love your cow , it ’s believably OK to imbibe its rude milk , ” Estes says , as you know its health conditions , what vaccination it ’s receive and the cleanliness of the equipment used during milking .

However , it ’s advised that milk be pasteurized to remove any intellectual nourishment - suffer pathogen that might be present in the milk . Home - pasteurization kits are the preferred style to home - pasteurize your Milk River . you could also use material you already have in your kitchen , such as a double - boiler organisation , to pasteurize on the stovetop , though you must take maintenance to maintain milk temperature for a specific period of time . Here are two home - pasteurisation method offered by the South Dakota State University Cooperative Extension Service .

Milking a cow