Methods of milking

A) Hand milking

1. Full hand milking known as fisting:

• Full hand milking simulates natural sucking of a calf.
• Cows with large teats and buffaloes are milked full hand method.
• It is done by grasping the teats with whole hand and steadily pressing it equally on all sides against the palm with the fingers.
• Full hand milking removes milk quicker than stripping because of no loss of time in changing the position of the hand.

2. Stripping:

• Generally stripping method is adopted in small cow with smaller teats.
• Stripping is accomplished by firmly seizing the teats at its base between front of the thumb and forefinger.

• Drawing them down the entire length of the teat while pressing simultaneously to cause the milk to flow in a steam.

Advantages

• The last drown milk at the close of milking called stripping is richer in fat than fore milk.

Disadvantages

• Application of unequal pressure more than necessary on teats.
• More frictional effect on teats by sliding the finger and thumb up and down.
• Production of undue irritation of skin resulting in sores.
• Necessity of undesirable lubrication of the teats frequently with milk, oil, water or grease.
• More pain to animal in stripping operation in event of chapped, cracked, sore or teat affected with cowpox.
• Loss of richest part of milk due to inefficient milking.

3.Knuckling.

• In this method, teats are holding diagonally.
• Teat is grasped between folded thumb and fore figure.
• Animal feels discomfort, pain and uneasiness during the milking time due to unequal pressure exerted on the top surface layer of the teat.
• It is bad method of milking.

Types of milker:

There are two types of milker:

a) Wet hand milker:

• Who use oil, water milk or ghee to moisten and soften the teats, which is a pernicious habit.
• They usually draw and stretch the teat.
• As such, calf is a wet milker since it has no choice of system.

b) Dry hand milker:

• who draw the milk with dry hand without use of any moistening material.
• Desirability of cleanliness demands milking with dry hands.

B) Machine milking:

• Approximately 55 % of total labour time in dairy herd operation involved in milking machine milking reduced it to an appreciable degree.
• Nearly 160 cows are milked per hour with machine milking per hour with 10 to 12 cows are milked per with hand milking.

Types of milking plants:

1. The most commercial milking operation consists of 4 distinct types of plants.
2. The bucket type of plant with tapped overhead fixed vacuum line installed.
3. Pipeline milking, which involves pipeline into which milk is delivered direct from the teat cups without intervening buckets.
4. Fixed milking parlor or movable milking bail for use with yarded cows or cows pasture.
5. Rotary system in which cows or circulate on a revolving platform past an operator in standing position.
6. The milk machine performs two basic functions.
7. It open the streak canal through the use of a partial vacuum and allow the milk to flow out of the teat cistern through a line to a receiving container.
8. It massages the teat, which prevents congestion of blood and lymph in the teat.