Page 243 - Agriculture_Form_Three

Agriculture for Secondary Schools

(c) Put suitable dairy concentrate feeds in the feed trough. Provide the recommended
quantity of feed. This helps to minimise stress to the animal, therefore, it will
stand still to be milked. It also facilitates milk let down.

(d) Wash the udder using warm water. This removes dirt and stimulates milk let
down.
(e) Dry the udder using clean and dry cloth. Proper drying is important both to
prevent water droplets falling into the milk and to prevent chapped teats.

(f) Use a strip cup to test the first milk so as to find out whether the cow has mastitis
or any other abnormality.
(g) Apply milking salve on the teats for lubrication so as to avoid scratching of

teats.
Actual milking: Milk each animal as quickly as possible. Do not take more than 7
minutes so as to utilise time of milk let-down. Use a squeezing action to push the
milk down as it is illustrated in Figures 10.7 (a) to (f) and summarised as follows:

(a) Grasp the teat with the thumb and first/index finger (refer to Figure 10.7 (a)).

The hand should grasp the whole length of the teat.
(b) Close your thumb and index finger so as to avoid milk run back into the udder
(refer to Figure 10.7 (b)).

(c) Close your second finger and milk will start to squirt out (refer to Figure 10.7
(c)). Discard the first squirt or two as the milk may not be clean.
(d) Close the third finger then little finger using steady pressure so as to squeeze
with whole hand (refer to Figure 10.7 (d)). Don’t jerk or pull down as this
can damage the teat and the udder and it will be painful to the animal. During

milking, it is advisable to use both hands in an alternating rhythm.
(e) Relax your fingers and thumb to allow the teat to refill, and then start again
squeezing (refer to Figure 10.7 (e)). Then, repeat the process at a consistent
rhythm.

(f) When the milk flow is nearly to stop, push the udder gently to observe if the
animal has let down all her milk (refer to Figure 10.7 (f)). Thereafter, grasp the
teat with your thumb and fore finger then run your fingers down the tip of the
teat to force any milk that might be in the teat to come out.

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