2t—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 11, 197 S -
‘lf you have time to make money, you have time for proper milking’
Poor milking means 25% milk loss
LANCASTER - Nothing a
dairyman does hurts him
more than improper milking
procedures. Tlie farmer who
isn’t doing a good job at
milking time is losing as
much as 25 per cent of his
potential mUk production.
Add other factors to that,
such as mastitis, improper
feeding and poor breeding,
and the dairyman can really
be shortchanging himself.
These and other con
clusions were revealed
recently at Lancaster
County’s Dairy Day, an
event which drew more than
400 people. It was one of the
largest turnouts ever for an
educational event held at the
Farm and Home Center.
The day’s programs
focused on everything from
proper milking to mastitis to
marketing and machinery.
“Making Your Cows
Worth More,” was the title of
the first presentation, which
came in the form of a feature
film produced by Babson
Brothers, makers of Surge
dairy equipment. The
purpose of the film was to
make dairymen aware of
proper milking procedures
and to have them realize how
detrimental neglectful
milking can be. Evidence
included film footage of what
goes on inside the cow’s
udder with the milk machine
in action.
“Cows per minute instead
of milk per cn has become
the objective many
milking syst/ ns,” the
commentator explained
early in the film. A number
of dairy specialists from
leading universities
provided documentation for
the merits of the eight
simple steps to better
milking.
Those eight steps to
“make your cows worth
' more” are:
1. Provide a clean, stress
free environment for your
cows.
2. Wash and stimulate the
cow’s udder for at least 30
seconds, thus allowing the
cow’s brain to initiate milk
flow through the release of
the hormone oxytocin. The
hormone needs 45 to 60
seconds lead time before the
tiny alveoli in the cow’s
udder are squeezed and milk
flow begins.
3. Strip the foremilk and
dry the teats. Aside from this
act providing extra
stimulation to the udder, it
eliminates bacteria, helps
reduce mastitis, and serves
as a visible check for ab
normal milk.
4. Apply the milking
machine at the proper time,
while internal udder
pressure is at its highest.
That is about one minute
after initiation of udder
stimulation (washing). A lot
of milk is lost if milking is
not begun at the proper time.
Furthermore, the cow’s
teats and udder are more
susceptible to irritation and
injury if this procedure is
ignored, the film showed.
Cows milked per hour, rather than milk
production per cow has become the standard of
too many milking systems, claim dairy scientists at
numerous agricultural colleges.
5. Adjust the milker for £n m use d a dramatic
forward and downward illustration of this and other
pulling action. It is very potentially damaging
important to prevent the teat milking actions by filming
cups from riding up on the scenes inside the udder,
teats. Researchers in the (Turn to Page 34)
• Flats repaired or replaced promptly • Tube valves
replaced 1 • Tires liquid-filled 1 • Tire sales 6 service
for every truck tractor, and auto on your farm 1
PHILIP LEBZELTERismco
(Independent Goodyear Dealer)
1062 Manheim Pike, Lancaster, PA 17604