Farmers should consider analysing their milking routine to see if it needs improvement or adjustments ahead of spring calving.

As the first of the cows start calving, many farmers may be milking once-a-day for the first few weeks, but it will not be long before there is a cohort of cows getting milked twice-a-day.

The aim of a good milking routine is to put clusters on calm cows, with clean, dry, well-stimulated teats to remove milk as quick as possible, and to remove the teat cups as soon as the cow has finished milking.

Changes in milking routines will more than likely cause a spike in the bulk tank's somatic cell count (SCC); however, maintaining a high standard of hygiene will allow you to adjust the routine in a bid to balance good milking practices and efficiency.

Milking routine

Farmers should be wearing disposable gloves and a clean milking apron to stop the spread of mastitis and protect against any zoonotic diseases, such as leptospirosis.

They should then set up and wet down before cows are brought in to avoid causing any unnecessary stress on those waiting to be milked.

Clusters should be attached to clean, dry teats in a circular motion in the following order:

Left back;
Left front;
Right back;
Right front.

Farmers should use their right hand to put on the cups when milking the cows on the right-hand-side of the parlour (facing the exit) because it is easier to reach through the back legs, and use their left hand when milking cows on the left-hand-side.

Kink the tail of the liner when attaching to the cow's teat to prevent air getting in and guide the teat into the liner with your finger. 

Once the cluster has been attached, make sure that the cluster hangs on the cow properly to ensure efficient milking.

Good cluster alignment is where the long milk tube hangs in line with the cow’s back bone when applied between the back legs and at 90° to the back bone when applied in front of the back leg.

If manually taking off clusters, they should be removed when there is only a single stream of milk visible in the claw piece in order to minimise the risk of over-milking.

Avoid causing air blasts when taking off clusters by turning off the vacuum and kinking the milk tube, or by using the button on the claw piece.

If you have automatic cluster removers (ACRs), ensure that they are in good operating order, as you do not want them taking clusters off cows that are still milking or getting over-milked.

Disinfectant

Apply post-milking teat disinfectant while making sure that the teat skin of every teat is completely covered at the end of every milking.

Wash the parlour between rows. Avoid washing while cows are in the parlour, unless all of the units are attached to cows as this will only spread dirt and infection.

Use running water and disinfectant solution to remove infected milk from gloves, liners, and other equipment to stop the spread of mastitis and other diseases.

A good hygienic milking routine is the first step in making sure that you are producing quality food, which is essential in sustaining and creating markets for the Irish dairy industry.