How to Milk Out a Beef Cow After Calving
Dairy cows are bred to produce milk in large quantities, while beef cows are bred to build meaty bulk. Both cows produce milk, but beef cattle produce only as much milk as is necessary to feed their young. In some instances it may be necessary to milk a beef cow. This is done to feed young who struggle sucking or swallowing, to harvest milk from a cow whose calf has died, or to treat mastitis, an infection of the milk ducts. Failing to milk the utter out completely can result in a loss of milk production and infection.
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Instructions
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Secure the cow. Ideally, put the cow in a milking station that holds the head in an immobilized position . This will keep the cow from trying to walk away while you are milking. If a milking station is not available tie the cows head down to a post with a cow halter and lead rope, limiting her movement as much as possible.
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Clean the cow's utter. Use warm water and a soft was cloth to remove the mud and other debris from all four teats.
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Treat each of the four teats with iodine. Use a simple spray bottle to coat the teats. This disinfects the teats and can help prevent infection of sores on the teats surface.
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Set a stool beside the rear flank of the cow on whichever side you intend to milk from. The side you choose does not matter. You will not need a stool to sit on if you are milking the cow in a raised station that puts the cow's feet at the same level as your shoulders.
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Set a bucket under the teat or teats you will milk first. You may want to milk only one teat at a time when you are first getting started, so that you can concentrate on your technique. Milk two teats at a time one you have the hang of it.
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Sit lightly on the stool. Remember that if the cow get unruly and starts to kick you will need to move out of the way quickly. The cow is more likely to be unruly if this is the first time she has been milked, or if her utter is engorged.
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Lay the teat against the palm of your hand and close your hand around the teat. Squeeze the top of the teat shut with your thumb and forefinger. This will prevent the milk in the teat from moving back up into the utter when you begin to squeeze.
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Squeeze the milk out of the teat working from the top down. Pull down slightly on the teat with your thumb and forefinger. Compress your middle, ring and pinkie finger to push the milk out of the teat.
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Release the teat and let it refill with milk, then repeat the process again. You should develop a rhythm of squeezing and releasing. The pattern will be determined by the speed with which the teat refills with milk, and mimics the natural suck and swallow pattern of a calf.
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Strip the teat out when you are no longer getting a stream of milk with each squeeze. To strip the teat, squeeze the top of the teat firmly between the thumb and the index finger and slide the fingers all the way down the teat to express remaining milk. Repeat the stripping process until no milk comes out.
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Tips & Warnings
If the cow is extremely hard to milk, and is kicking a lot, crouch behind her, under her tail area, and milk from the back side -- she cannot kick at this angle.
To prevent a cow from kicking, use a can't-kick-bar. This is a bent metal pipe that hooks over the cows hips and under her flank so that she cannot lift her foot to kick while she is being milked
Make sure that you strip the teats out completely. If mastitis forms you should also treat the cow with a strong antibiotic. If mastitis is not stripped completely from the udder it can become a serious infection. If left untreated the infection will eventually result in death.
References
- Country Farm Life Styles: How to Milk a Cow by hand and Hand Milking Made Easy
- "LIFE"; How to Milk A Cow; December 1942
- Kountry Life; How to Milk a Cow By Hand; December 1999
- "Storey's Guide to Raising Beef Cattle"; Heather Smith Thomas; 2009
- "Essential Guide to Calving: Giving Your Beef or Dairy Heard..."; Heather Smith Thomas; 2007
- Photo Credit Digital Vision./Digital Vision/Getty Images
