A simple, consistent, clear and quick milking routine achieves good udder health with minimum stress for yourself and your milking staff. During 2024, there were 1400 Cell Count Solutions Consults carried out by trained veterinary practitioners as part of a milk quality team to improve somatic cell counts and mastitis control. The consults are funded by the Department of Agriculture as Targeted Advisory Services in Animal Health (TASAHs).
Having a Good Milking Routine
By: Michelle McGrath
Programme Manager CalfCare and Hoof HealthCheck
Key Steps for a Successful Milking Routine
About 30% of the recommendations given in these consults highlighted changes to milking routine and hygiene to reduce contagious spread of mastitis as follows:
- Post milking teat spraying
Provide adequate volume: 15 ml/cow. Monitor overall use based on number of milking cows. Ensure adequate coverage using the figure of eight method. The most effective product is chlorohexidine at 0.5% concentration.
- Wearing of gloves during milking
This is an essential procedure in dealing with identification of clinical cases of mastitis. A bare hand is more difficult to clean and disinfect during milking, than a gloved hand. Gloves should be clean – keep clean all through milking. Change during milking, if they get torn. Replace gloves after each milking.
- Cows standing for at least 20 -30 minutes post milking with buffer feeding.
The closure of the teat opening following milking varies. It is necessary to keep a cow standing for at least 20 minutes post milking through the provision of feed and/or preventing entry into the cubicle area to ensure that the opening closes completely before lying down.
- Segregation of high SCC cows and cows with mastitis.
Reduce the risk of infection spread by identifying infected and high SCC cows and milking them last, if possible. It may be more feasible and more time efficient to run a separate herd for clinical cases and high SCC cows. Most importantly, set an SCC limit to segregate that is the most practical for your milking operation in consultation with your advisor/veterinary practitioner.
If you cannot separate out the cows from the herd to milk, a separate cluster can be used to avoid passing infection to clean cows. Rinse and sanitise the cluster using peracetic acid solution after milking each infected cow.
- Changing of liners every 2000 milking or within 6 months whichever is first.
Estimate the number of days for 2000 cow milkings using the following formula:
2000 x no. of milking units
Herd size x milkings per day
Mark the date on your calendar or mobile phone to change the liners.
Lastly, decide on the level of daily, weekly and monthly checks on milking machine functions that you need to do.
CellCheck Farm Guidelines
The Cell Check Farm Guidelines 5 -10 on the AHI website are a useful guide on good milking routine.
During 2024, there were 1400 Cell Count Solutions Consults carried out by trained veterinary practitioners.
Cell Count Solutions Consult
If you would like to carry out a Cell Count Solutions Consult with your nominated veterinary practitioner, milk quality advisor and milking machine technician, you apply below.
AHI Stakeholders
AHI gratefully acknowledges the financial and other contributions of our stakeholders.
