Basically, cows are used to breed young individuals and produce milk. Milking cows is the production of a dairy product by milking. It is very important to do this correctly in order to benefit and not harm the animal.
Distributing cows
Do not be afraid, this process seems difficult only at the beginning, but in the future it does not take a long time, only 4-5 minutes. To facilitate the work, you need to know a few simple rules on how to properly milk a cow after calving.
Is it possible to milk a cow before calving?
It is impossible to milk a cow before calving, as it is necessary to start the animal. This will rebuild the breast tissue. The start-up period or dry period lasts 45-60 days. For first-calf heifers, the launch period is extended by two weeks. During the dry period, nutrients are formed for the formation of the fetus. With a productivity of about four liters of milk 3 months before delivery, milking is stopped immediately.
The process of milking a cow
Immediately after the kidnapping
Calving is the process during which the gestation and birth of a calf takes place. At this time, the heifer spends a large amount of energy on the birth of young animals, but milking cannot be stopped.
How to milk a cow after calving? After the female gave birth, it is necessary to wait 15 days. This is necessary because at this time she releases substances that go to feed the calf. After this period, milk can be consumed by humans.
Do not try to get the maximum volume. This will lead to an overstrain of the mammary gland, all kinds of diseases can occur. To milk a heifer after childbirth, you must:
- give salt water to a cow half an hour after giving birth, this will remove thirst and help restore strength;
- after 2-3 hours you can start milking, but you can not overdo it – it is forbidden to milk all the milk, otherwise it will lead to animal diseases. This milk must be given to the calf.
Milking should be carried out 3 to 5 times a day so that there is no stagnation. Massage should be done after each milking.
Cow udder massage
After a false pregnancy
There are cases when cows have a false pregnancy. It is very difficult to distinguish it from the usual one, only with a special examination by a veterinarian. With a false pregnancy, the stomach also inflates, but as a result, liquid is poured out instead of a calf. There is nothing to worry about, just a normal biological process.
After all the liquid has come out, you need to gently start unloading. It is advisable to wait a few hours. It must be started carefully, gradually milking the dairy product, but not all.
How do they change the nutritional value of the diet when milking cows?
Food is the main source of energy for any organism. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to the diet.
It’s no secret that food directly affects the quantity and quality of milk. If you want to increase milk yield, you need to add to the diet:
- roots;
- special feed;
- increase the amount of grass and hay.
You need to include fruits and vegetables in your diet to maintain vitamins and other beneficial elements. Without them, the amount of dairy product will not increase. Do not forget about special additives that increase milk yield.
Proper nutrition improves milk yield
You also need to take into account the desired volume of milk, and from this choose the appropriate diet, and in addition to everything, take into account the characteristics of your cow:
- average. With such a cow, you can count on an increase in the amount of milk by 3-4 liters;
- high-yielding. If you have such a cow, then you can increase milk yield by 4-6 liters;
- unproductive. It is very difficult to increase the volume of milk produced with the help of a certain nutrition, it is better to use special additives.
Attention! In no case should you feed the cow the same type of food, this will only reduce the amount of milk.
If the animal has not increased milk yield, then an experiment should be carried out: give certain products for about a week and observe from which the amount of the product increases. The diet should be changed every 2-3 weeks. You can not overfeed the animal, this leads to loss of appetite and even milk. Instead of a large amount of food, you need to water the cow well.
Milking
There are cases when a small amount of milk is given out due to improper milking technique. Therefore, you must follow all the rules of milking:
- Schedule. The heifer needs to know when milking will begin. This will help her produce as much milk as possible by this time.
- Feeding. The animal must be fed two hours before milking with food that increases milk yield.
- Before the process, you need to wash and wipe the udder. The first small amount of milk should not be poured into a common dish – they contain microbes and pathogenic bacteria. When draining, you need to pay attention to the liquid: it should not contain any blood clots or mucus, because this is a sure sign of the animal’s illness.
hand milking
During the process, you need to milk the back, and then the front udder, but not with your fingers, but with your whole fist. If milking is not done correctly, the udder can be injured or dirt can be brought in; milk cannot flow through the fingers. All milking should be done no more than 5 minutes. If there is still milk left, then you can not touch it. Subsequently, you can learn to milk most of the milk during this time. But this will take some time. Proper milking increases the amount of milk product. The milking of a cow after calving should be done in the same way, only with even greater accuracy.
Some farmers use two-phase milking after calving instead of three-phase milking, which is considered to be more profitable. A cow needs to be milked twice a day instead of 3-4. Two-phase milking will save time, but it is still best to milk the animal frequently. If milk is not removed in time, it will disappear, and it is dangerous for the animal itself.
Massage
To maximize your milk supply, massage the udder regularly. This helps to soften the skin and increases the return of milk, prevents the appearance of any diseases. The correct process includes:
- First you need to wash the udder. After carefully inspecting for spots, rashes, it is necessary to identify diseases in time.
- Massage should be done from the bottom up, from the sides to the center.
- Be sure to raise and lower the udder during the process.
- When massaging, attention should be paid, as well as to the entire udder as a whole, and to individual parts.
The massage procedure should be performed every day, several times a day – this will contribute to greater milk flow. The use of additional special softening ointments is only welcome. If you do everything right, then after a while the amount of milk will increase significantly.
Udder massage
What can be problems with the udder?
During childbirth, a cow spends a large amount of energy. They need to be restored, but various problems with the udder can occur at this time. You can handle them all if you follow the rules.
- If the udder is compacted and swollen, then the calf should be let in. This will help soften it. After that, you need to milk the rest of the milk.
- If the udder has become hard, then massage is necessary. You need to move your hands carefully, slowly. Do not use special milking devices, they can only harm and cause disease. Milk about 5 times a day, before each milking, perform a massage procedure.
If something went wrong, any problems arose, you should immediately contact your veterinarian in order to avoid complications. The doctor will conduct an examination and identify problems, offering an alternative solution.
Attention! It is not necessary, for any problems, to independently carry out treatment, this can lead to disastrous consequences.
Conclusion
Milk is one of the main incomes of farming. Therefore, milking should be treated with due responsibility. The milking of a cow after calving requires special attention, for this you need to know how to properly carry it out. To increase the amount of milk you need to choose the right diet, and massage, it is also important to be able to deal with problems that may arise with the udder. If you cannot cope with them yourself, you need to contact your veterinarian. For the proper development of your farming, you need to follow all the rules, this will help keep the animals healthy.
