Operation of milking machines

Milking cows is a highly qualified job that will benefit from a persistent use of correct routines.

• Before starting milking make sure all equipment and tools are at hand and in proper condition. Use clean suitable clothing and wash your hands thoroughly before starting milking.
• Always handle animals with care and in a calm and considerate way. No yelling or beating if you want them to give you all their milk.
• Clean and massage the cow’s udder. Use dry cleaning if the udder is clean. If it is so dirty that wet cleaning is required make sure you wipe the teat dry after cleaning. Use disposable cloths for each cow or individual cloths that are cleaned in a washing machine between every milking.
• Premilk by hand in a test cup. Take a few squirts from each teat and check for flocculation or blood.
• In some countries a special pre dip is used to disinfect the outside of the teat. This will eliminate infections to spread from the outside of the teat to the inside of the same or other teats milked with the same unit.
• Put on the milking unit within one minute after preparation.
• A persistent routine is very important for this action as the cows will develop a let down reflex that is adjusted to such a routine.
• Monitor the milking and adjust the unit if it starts squeaking or if the cow appears uncomfortable.
• Take off the unit when the milk flow has ceased or is very low. Check that the udder is empty before you remove the unit. Avoid developing habits were all the cows expect you to aftermilk with machine before taking off. If you use automatic take off units do some random checks that the cows are properly milked.
• Teat dip the cows within one minute after take off. This will safeguard disinfection and protection of the teat canal while it still is open.
• Register the observations you do on the individual cows during milking. In many production systems milking is the only time of the day when you are close to all the individual lactating cows.
• Treated and sick cows shall always be milked separately and after all the healthy cows.
• Cows develop habits. If you establish and maintain a persistent milking routine for every milking the cows will feel comfortable and respond positively with an even production.

Cleaning

The milk from a healthy animal is almost sterile when it leaves the udder. To maintain a high quality of the milk it has to be handled in a clean installation. It is therefore necessary to clean the milking plant thoroughly after each milking.

• Sufficient and good quality water is required to achieve a satisfactory cleaning result.
• Water heating capacity has to match the requirements from the cleaning procedure.
• Detergents have to be selected to work with the actual water quality and dosed in accordance with the instructions given by the equipment supplier.
• The hand washing procedures shall follow the supplier’s instructions.
• If there is an automatic cleaning unit installed it has to be adjusted to the requirements of the plant and water quality and operated according to instructions.
• Make sure the cooling tank or cans are equally well cleaned and that you don’t forget any part or connection in the whole milk handling chain.
• Avoid standing water in and on the cleaned equipment after cleaning and before next milking. Allow drying by having good ventilation or air movements.

Cooling

To avoid rapid deterioration of the milk after milking it shall be cooled down to 2-4C within 2 hours. If you don’t have access to electric power and/or artificial cooling it is important that you cool the milk by keeping it in the shade and putting it in water from the well or other cool water source. If you can’t cool the milk, frequent milk collection at least once per day is required.

• If you have a cooling tank it has to have the capacity to cool down the milk within 2 hours. You also have to make sure the milk is not collected before the milk is cooled down.
• The agitation of the milk in the tank has to be gentle to avoid milk quality deterioration.
• If you can avoid mixing warm milk in cooled that is an advantage from quality point of view.
• Clean the tank immediately after the milk has been collected by the truck.

Maintenance

• For a continuous trouble free operation with high quality milk regular maintenance and exchange of wear and tear parts is necessary.
• A serious supplier and installer will offer a scheduled plant service to give the required maintenance.
• Such a service will include dismantling and a complete cleaning of the plant, exchange of all required wear and tear parts according to established time limits, checking of all essential functions and parameters and a complete test run.
• Such preventive scheduled services will markedly reduce operational breakdowns that by experience always will be more costly in the longer perspective.
• A preventive service works as an assurance and reduces production losses and gives peace of mind.