The Grit-advocate., 1903-01-02
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The Thorough Milking Of Cows.

The Thorough Milking Of Cows.
The importance of thoroughly and
effectually milking COWS SO as to re-
move every drop of milk from the ua-
der during the milking process is ire
quently overlooked or not fully unaer-
stood. Omission to do this not only
very obviously causes a reduction III
the quantity of milk obtained. but
what is not so generally recognized
it results in the production OF milk OF
a poorer quality than would be the
case if the udder were thoroughly
stripped and relieved of its last drop
of milk. The result of numerous
milking experiments in regard to TINS
question are available to show that
the milk, as taken from the COW, Is
not of an average compassionate
is to say, that the first drawn milk is
abnormally poor in fat content;
whilst the quality OF the milk i'm
proves as the process of milking con
tinues, the last drawn milk being
richest in butter fat, containing a
much higher percentage than sam
pie of normal milk. Whereas the
first drawn milk may have as low a
fat percentage as IL or Is, the last
pint withdrawn from the COW may
contain as much as 9 or per cer' oi
fat
1t is evident from this that unless
the strippings up to the last drop arc
included in the milk, the latter will
contain less butter fat than it should
do, il the milking operations were sat
isfactorily carried out. To the dairy
farmer who produces butter. this
means a decreased butter yield, but
this point is also of great Importance
to milk dealers. Although in average
dairy herds in this country the mixed
milk of the whole herd comes up to a
fair standard, yet the thorough milk
ing of the COWS SO as to include the
last drop in the udder is a safeguard
to some extent against the quality Of
the milk falling below standard re-
quirements.
Apart from the reduction OF the
yield and the quality of the milk by
incompletely milking the COWS. this
slovenly practice in the case of heit-
ers and young cows, whose milk Sc
cretion has as yet not reached its
maximum limit, involves deteriora-
ton of their milk yielding qualities,
or at any rate prevents a full develop
ment of the latter in succeeding lac
tation periods. Although the milk
yielding capacity is primarily an in
herited quality, yet to some extent 1t
depends on other factors, one of
which is the stimulation OF the I'D
der by means of the milking process.
The greater the stimulation is, the
more beneficially will the tevelop-I
ment of the milk organs BIZ infiu-
enced. Hence thorough and complete
milking of heifers and young COWS is
especially to be desired as tending to
improve their mild-yielding qualities;
whilst if the milking process is car
ried out in careless and perfunctory
manner, the opposite effect results in
that it deteriorates the milk-yielding
qualities to certain extent This
question receives great deal OF at
tention by some of the dairymen in
different countries. | have known OF
some instances where the operation
of milking was continued in the case
of heifers and young cows, especially
the former, in their first lactation
period for some time after all the
milk has been drawn, solely with the
view of stimulating the udder. With
view of developing the milking quaI-
tiles and to increase the milk yield
in future lactation periods, it is
further desirable to proong the first
few lactation period of a young COW
as much as possible, within reason
able limits, of course, and not to al
low them to dry off too soon, as this
has an adverse effect on the quan-
tity Of the future milk yields in sue
ceeding lactation periods. This ap.
plies only to dairy cattle of course
Hoard's Dairyman.