Best Milking Practices

Milking Procedures

Michael M. Schutz, J. Francis Kearney, and Simon J. Kenyon Purdue University Departments of Animal Sciences and Veterinary Clinical Sciences

Practice makes perfect! There are many reasons  Dip teats after milking. to establish and stick with a sound milking  Treat every quarter of every cow at dry-off routine that works well for a particular dairy. with an approved dry cow therapy. Obviously, the most important reason is to get as much high-quality milk as possible per cow. These recommendations are as true today as But there are other very important reasons as when they were first written many years ago. well. Milking procedures play a large role in Remember, the most important part of any reducing or eliminating mastitis and lowering milking routine is to put the inflations on somatic cell counts, which are important in clean, dry teats. Doing this every time you terms of animal health and milk quality milk every cow is vital from the standpoint of premiums. Another reason to establish a routine milk production, mastitis management, milk milking procedure is that it should be quick quality and the rate at which cows are milked. enough to allow smooth flow of cows through the parlor, while giving each cow enough It may or may not seem surprising that a stimulation and time to achieve an effective milk successful milking routine begins where the letdown response. Speed of the milking routine cows spend most of their time. Maintenance of can be measured either by number of cows the environment is an often overlooked but milked per hour or by the amount of milk important part of the milking routine! Housing harvested per employee per hour. An often areas and cow traffic areas should be kept as overlooked goal of a good milking routine is that clean and dry as possible. This is important in it ought to be simple enough that every milker reducing the amount of dirt that will need to be can use exactly the same routine for every removed from teats and reducing the number of healthy cow every time. mastitis-causing bacteria on the teats. Freestalls must be dry, and bedding material must be From the consumer’s point of view, the most replaced frequently. Stalls should be groomed at important reason to establish a good milking each milking. Avoid bedding with non-dried routine is to ensure milk quality. After all, milk wood shavings, because green shavings may has a reputation as a fresh and wholesome encourage growth of certain kinds of mastitis product and that image must be maintained. causing bacteria, such as klebsiella species. Sand bedding does not support bacterial growth, All of these goals must be balanced when but it may not be compatible with the existing deciding on an appropriate milking routine for manure handling equipment. the herd. The routine that works best for one herd may not work as well for another, but certain considerations are common to all successful milking procedures. All successful milking routines allow milking inflations to be attached to clean, dry teats.

The following points have long been made when recommending milking procedures:

 Provide sanitary housing for cows.  Ensure gentle cow movement and comfort.  Use proper milking procedures.  Ensure proper function, adjustment, and sanitation of milking equipment. Figure 1. Cow housing. Stall comfort is vital to encourage cows to lay in  Feeding in parlor? Feeding may encourage dry, bedded stalls rather than in scrape alleys cows to enter the parlor quickly, but may and traffic areas. Use of mattresses in stalls interfere with cows’ orderly exit from the reduces the amount of additional bedding, but parlor. If cows are fed in the parlor, great bedding is still required to prevent friction care must be taken to keep the parlor clean injuries. Huge amounts of fresh bedding must of feed residues, insects, and rodents. be frequently added in tromp sheds to maintain a  Administer injections outside the parlor. dry surface over the manure pack. Fresh Injections, flaming udders to remove hair, bedding must be continually maintained in tie trimming switches, and other procedures stalls. The milking routine can be simplified by which cows may find painful or startling proper maintenance of correctly sized stalls, should be done outside of the milking which keep cows clean and comfortable. Even parlor. under grazing conditions where cows are on dry pasture, one must assure that cows do not have access to muddy ponds, small shaded areas with bare ground, or mucky cow lanes where they may come into contact with pathogens that cause coliform or other environmental mastitis. Remember that dry cows and heifers also need clean, dry facilities to avoid mastitis problems.

Anything that startles, distracts, frightens, or otherwise stresses a cow will interfere with the milk letdown response, reduce milk production, and slow cow movement through a parlor. The following steps are necessary to ensure cow comfort and to enhance the milk letdown Figure 2. A milking cow response.  Avoid prolonged waits in the holding pen. Cows are creatures of habit and that makes it Cows trapped in the holding pen generally quite important that a single milking routine is do not have access to feed and water. If this established for the dairy. Every milker should wait is unduly long, dry matter intake and be able to follow the routine and apply the same water consumption may be reduced, and routine to every cow at every milking. It is best hence they will produce less milk. Strive to if there is a written set of standard operating keep cows in the holding pen no more than 2 procedures for milking. That way every milker hours total per day. Less is better. knows exactly what is expected. The written  Assure smooth cow flow. Remove procedures also help when training new milkers. obstructions between cows and the parlor. An example standard milking procedure is Even visual obstructions can make cows included at the end of this publication. balk at entering the parlor.  Avoid sharp turns and steps. Be sure exits If every employee follows the same routine, it is are set up such that cows can maneuver less likely that any accidents, such as milking an around turns. Ramps with gradual slopes antibiotic treated cow into the bulk tank will and grooved concrete are much easier for happen. Also, the milking procedure itself will cows to walk on than are steps. provide a correctly timed stimulus to trigger  Keep the milking parlor free of startling oxytocin release and milk letdown. noises. Cows probably won’t mind radio music playing in the milking parlor, as long The goals of a good cow preparation procedure as it is not too loud and not distracting to the are to: milkers. We don’t know if cows prefer  Limit use of water. Rock, Country, Classical, or Polka music,  Allow the milker to target the teat with an which means that any music that keeps approved pre-milking dip, sanitizer, or wash. milkers happy and productive probably is  Sanitize/kill bacteria, but not contaminate good for the cows too. milk.  Provide adequate time for teat sanitation.

2  Allow sufficient time for milk letdown controller, milking vacuum, milk hoses and stimulation. liners for holes or tears. Also check pulsators  Remove organic matter from the teat and air admission holes in the milking claw. surface. Properly functioning milking equipment is  Eliminate variation in milking routines. essential to all of the goals discussed previously.  Not slow down milking. Predipping It is generally accepted that The less water that is sprayed onto the udder, the predipping may reduce environmental mastitis less the chance that micro-organisms that reside by 50% in some herds. Its effective use can on the teat and udder skin surface will be present some risk. The risk is one that can be washed down and congregate at the teat end. managed through common sense approaches. There they could enter the udder through the teat Use caution to wipe teats and prevent end during milking and cause a mastitis contamination of milk. Also, use only a dip infection. which is listed with FDA, has known ingredients, and has predipping instructions. Using a teat wash with sanitizer or a pre-dip is encouraged, but only works well if given When predipping teats, be sure to : sufficient contact time. Some dairies have 1. Pre-clean teats of visible dirt. Dirt or success simply by wiping teats with a dry towel manure can prevent the pre-dip from to remove obvious dirt. In most cases this is not penetrating to the skin surface to effectively a recommended practice because of increased kill bacteria. risk of getting sediment or dirt in the milk and 2. Apply Predip. Nonreturn dip cups, spray not killing bacteria on the skin surface. Some bottles, and spray wands can each be used opportunistic bacteria reside on the skin surface successfully if care is taken to assure and their populations are dramatically reduced complete coverage. by sanitizers and pre-dips. 3. Forestrip. 4. Allow at least 30 seconds of contact time. The National Mastitis Council has recommended the following 8 point milking procedure. Most dairies are using all or nearly all of these components in their milking procedures.

1. Provide a clean, stress free environment. 2. Check foremilk and udder for mastitis. 3. Wash teats with udder wash/sanitizer. 4. Dry teats with individual towel per cow. 5. Attach milking unit within 1 minute. 6. Adjust unit for proper alignment. 7. Shut off vacuum before removing unit. Figure 2. Predipping. 8. Dip teats immediately after unit removal with an approved and effective dip. Forestripping. Forestripping is a good practice and may dramatically improve mastitis Hands should be washed frequently during management and lower somatic cell counts milking. Milkers must wear synthetic gloves. when practiced routinely. Stripping several Gloves protect milkers’ hands and provide a squirts of foremilk from each teat accomplishes smooth surface that is easily sanitized. Milkers five things. Forestripping 1)allows one to feel should be encouraged to wash their hands after any abnormalities in the teat or quarter, 2)allows prepping each cow. In a real milking routine, one to see any abnormalities or flaking of the this may not be practical because of the time milk, 3)allows the predip or sanitizer to be required. However great care should be used to worked onto the skin surface, 4)provides the sanitize hands after prepping a sick, mastitic, or most forceful stimulation signal for the milk let- high somatic cell count cow. down response, and 5)removes the milk with Before milking. Assure milking equipment highest SCC or bacteria levels. function as part of the normal milking routine. Prior to each milking, check the vacuum 3 Drying. It is vital that individual towels are used each task is performed so that the proper timing for each cow. Either paper towels or laundered is maintained. and dried cloth towels can be good options, but a separate, clean one must be used for each cow. Again, milk teats that are clean, dry, & free of If cloth towels are laundered and reused it is residue! recommended to accomplish at least two of the Researchers at the University of Minnesota following: 1) Wash with bleach, 2) Wash in hot devised the Minnesota Once-Under or water, or 3) Use a heated drying cycle. If towels Minnesota One-Step milking preparation are not dried, they must be used quickly after procedure to meet the goals listed above, and to washing to prevent bacterial growth on the simplify the process. The Minnesota Once- towel. Under procedure is designed to provide adequate contact time for sanitizing teats, adequate stimulation time to enhance milk let down, but a method quick enough to allow the entire preparation to be completed at one time. According to their studies, the average milker spends about 10 seconds per cow, which is not adequate stimulation or contact time.

The Minnesota Once Under Technique includes: 1. Dip each teat with approved teat dip covering at least 3/4 of the entire teat. 2. Clean teats with 3-4 vertical hand motions, Figure 3. Drying with individual towels. then use the thumb and first finger in 2-3 horizontal motions across the teat end to remove debris. Strip 2-3 squirts from each Attaching the milking unit. Optimum time from teat end to remove foremilk and check for initial contact with the cow to attachment of the clinical mastitis (about 5 -7 seconds per milking unit is 50 to 80 seconds to stimulate the teat). milk letdown response. This timing ensures that 3. Walk away and allow > 30 seconds of the milker will not be attached too long prior to contact time (enough time to rinse hands and peak milk let-down, but will not miss peak milk grab a towel), then dry teats with a single- let-down. Overmilking can occur either at the use towel and continue with proper milking beginning or end of milking; and either can procedures. Wipe teats in the same order result in callused and damaged teat ends. they were prepped.

Often this amount of time can be accomplished This gives a total of about 50-60 seconds from in a parallel or herringbone parlor by prepping 3 initial stimulation to attachment of the unit. A or 4 cows and then returning to wipe and attach variation for a single milker may be to prep and the milking units to those cows in the same attach units to 2 cows at a time (prep A, prep B, order. This is then repeated for the next 3 or 4 wipe and attach A, wipe and attach B). If 2 cows and so on. When there is more than one people are milking, the first can prep, while the milker, the proper timing can be accomplished second follows 3 cows behind, wipes, and by territorial milking where each milker attends attaches. to cows in a specific part of the parlor and preps and milks them as above. The timing can also During milking. Teat end impacts occur when be maintained by having the first person pre-dip vacuum fluctuations, often caused by slipping or and forestrip all of the cows on one side of the squawking liners, project rapidly moving parlor, with a second person following to wipe droplets of milk back toward the teat end. Some and attach each cow about 60 seconds after the of these tiny droplets of milk actually enter the first. Timing can be easily maintained with a teat through the relaxed sphincter and streak rotary parlor by having a different person canal, and can lead to a mastitic infection if the performing each task at their own station. The droplet contains pathogenic (infection causing) speed at which the cows move dictates where bacteria. Squawking liners must be tended to immediately! Liner slips are a parlor emergency. While this discussion of milking 4 procedures has stressed the importance of dip. This is usually not a good idea. In fact, establishing a routine that is applied to every unless you turn the bottle backwards, reach cow every time; there is an important exception. beyond the teat and spray back at your face, When you hear a slipping or squawking liner it is unlikely that you will apply any dip to you should drop whatever you are doing (within the far side of the teat. Cone shaped spray reason) and tend to it immediately! Maintaining wands may allow one to reach all surfaces of milking systems and properly adjusting the the teat, but are expensive and will waste milking unit will prevent most liner slips. more dip. Ring type sprayers will apply dip to the entire target area of the teat, but they As soon as milking letdown stops. Avoid are expensive, pores can clog easily, and overmilking, which causes stress and injury to they are rather susceptible to cow kicks. teat ends. Shut off the vacuum before removing the milker. This is important for the cow being Two other points about milking practices should milked, but resulting air intake can lead to be made, although they may not pertain to the vacuum fluctuations that can cause teat end day to day milking routine. Sick cows, treated impacts for other cows too. cows, cows with clinical mastitis, or cows with elevated somatic cell counts should be milked Post-dipping. This is absolutely necessary after last. If the cows can not be segregated, keep a each milking. Use only products that are listed separate milking unit to be used only for the sick with FDA and that are proven effective. or treated cows. Milking these cows last will Manufacturers should provide information about help prevent the spread of disease to healthy the effectiveness of the product. The measures cows, and, in the case of treated cows, will be an of the effectiveness have been standardized by extra reminder to withhold the milk from the the National Mastitis Council, and should be bulk tank and avoid the penalty for antibiotic used by manufacturers in testing their product. residue. At the last milking before dry-off, treating every quarter of every cow with an approved dry cow treatment is a wise practice. Dry treatment can help to clear up any lingering mastitis infections from the previous lactation and prevent new infections, which are very prevalent during the early dry period.

The best milking practices to promote milk quality can be summarized as: 1) Provide sanitary housing for cows. 2) Ensure gentle cow movement and comfort. 3) Use proper milking procedures including milking clean and dry teats. 4) Ensure proper function and adjustment of milking equipment. 5) Dip teats after milking. 6) Infuse every quarter of every cow Figure 4. Post-dipping. with an approved antibiotic at dry-off.

Effective ingredients in teat dips include: 1. Chlorhexidine - .5% 2. Iodophor - .5 to 1% available iodine 3. Hypochlorite - 4% 4. others

When (not if) dipping teats after milking: 1. Cover at least 3/4 of the teat or all of the teat that has been inside the inflation. 2. Use an effective applicator to apply dip to the teats. Non-return dip cups probably work the best, although they may be somewhat messy. For convenience, it may be tempting to use a sprayer to apply teat 5