In all mammals, lactation begins once an offspring has been born. Dairy cattle is the livestock species most often milked. This begins 1 to 3 days after the calf is born. Lactation generally peaks between 8 to 10 weeks of milking. To ensure the highest productivity dry matter intake peaks between 12 to 16 weeks.
Later feed is decreased to prevent overfattening.
The lactation period is generally 44 weeks. During this milking period, the cows are milked 2 to 3 times per day everyday at the same time. The cows enter the milking stanchion in the milking parlor where there udder is washed with warm water. Each teat is dried individually with a paper towel. The milk is then stripped from each teat into a strip cup.