How to properly milk a cow with a milking machine at home
Manual milking is a difficult, time-consuming process. Automation will help to simplify it and speed up milk intake. This is especially true if the farm contains several cows. In small backyards, farmers often do not know how to milk cows using a milking machine. Ignorance breeds mistrust and fear. However, by automating the milking process, the villagers get great benefits, and their work is also easier.
Pros and cons of the method
In addition to speeding up the process up to two times, machine milking attracts farmers with several other positive aspects.
If you use the unit correctly, you can get significant benefits. The main thing is to follow the milking rules and prepare the cow.
How to accustom to the apparatus
Unfamiliar noises, rumbling scare the cow. Therefore, the sound of the unit can scare her, and she will not let her approach. It can also lead to a decrease in milk volume or to its complete disappearance.
It is necessary to let the cattle get used to the noise of the apparatus. To do this, a unit is turned on in the barn, and then an animal is brought in. Pour your favorite feed and give it to the cow. It is important to do these steps at a time when milking is expected. If milk is taken 2-3 times a day, then the procedure will have to be carried out the same number of times. After 4-5 days, the cow will stop paying attention to the noise and will not be scared.
During the habituation, the cattle must be stroked, said to her affectionate words. After the cow has calmed down, you need to put glasses on her. She should take it calmly. The main thing is not to yell at the cattle at this time. During operation, the unit simulates the sucking of a calf by pulsating at an appropriate frequency.
Animal preparation
Before milking, you need to assess the external condition of the animal and prepare the unit. This is done in the following sequence:
- Examine the udder. It should be free of wounds or mastitis symptoms. If they are not there, then you need to rinse the organ with soapy water. The water should have a temperature of 30-40 ° C. Finally, rinse with clean water and wipe dry. Do not wash several cows from one container, as this can lead to infection of all livestock heads.
- Disinfect the teats and the parts of the machine attached to the cow.
- Manually milk 2-3 trickles from each teat into a separate container to eliminate bacteria. If there are blotches, heterogeneities, streaks of blood in the milk, then such a cow cannot be milked.
- Wipe the udder with a dry cloth or rag.
- Put on glasses. Check for air leaks from underneath.
It is necessary to responsibly approach the preparation and correctly complete all the points. The health of the cow and the amount of milk yield depend on this.
Milking with a milking machine at home
Milking with a machine is not a complicated process. The main thing is to accurately follow the sequence of the following actions:
- Turn on the device and wait until the pressure reaches 50 kPa, this takes 5 to 7 minutes. The value varies from 46 to 50 kPa, it all depends on the manufacturer. A special regulator is used to accurately adjust the pressure.
- Next, you need to pump the vacuum into 4 glasses. They are connected to the milk collection container with transparent hoses. The vacuum comes from the manifold. To start the pumping process, press the valve.
- After the vacuum has been pumped into the glasses, you need to shut off the hose for a while. To do this, clamp it with a suitable object, such as a clothespin.
- Clip the glasses onto the udder. Bring them to the nipples strictly vertically. The glass should grip each nipple tightly.
- After attaching the glasses, unlock the transparent hose. Milking starts. The process usually takes 6 to 8 minutes.
Monitor the milk flow in the hoses. If the trickles become thin, then you need to milk the cow. This can be done manually or again with a machine. For machine feeding, you need to pull off the collector and squeeze the rest of the milk out of the udder with your hands.
After the end of milk intake, the pressure must be relieved. To do this, press the valve again and wait 2 minutes. Then carefully remove the glasses so as not to injure the udder. They should go out freely, without undue effort. Then wipe the nipples, treat them with cream.
The time between the preparation of the udder and the start of milking should not exceed 1.5 minutes. It is necessary to strictly adhere to the rules of machine milk intake. Otherwise, you can injure the animal, reduce the level of milk yield. Setting up a milking machine is not a very difficult task; care and accuracy are required in all steps.
