The milkers must wash their hands thoroughly with warm water using soap, rinse in clean water, soak in disinfectant solution and dry with clean cloth.
At commencement of milking, use a strip cup, where the first milk is drawn and examined for any abnormalities. This milk is discarded because it normally contains micro-organisms from the teat canal. Never milk the fore milk on the floor of the dairy.
Milking must be carried out quietly, speedily and efficiently.
Each udder should be thoroughly stripped as this stimulates more milk production. Note that the œstrippings or last milk in the udder is the richest in butter fat.
After milking, the milk should be cooled to as low a temperature as possible at the farm.
The milker should wear suitable attire including overall, or apron and cap.
After milking, the utensils and milking stools must be kept scrupulously clean and in a clean place.
In general, cows on good ley pastures (planted grasses and legumes) will obtain a maintenance ration plus 4.5kg of milk.
Any additional kilogram of milk will require supplementary feeding of 1kg of compounded dairy meal.
A cow requires a very liberal supply of water. On average, five litres of water is necessary for each litre of milk secreted.
Drying off
Reduce the number of milkings to one daily
Curtail the rations for 7-10 days.
Then milk every other day
Do not strip for about 14 days.
Dry her off 6-8 weeks before she is due for calving again.
Management of bulls
a) A well managed bull can stay functional in a herd for 8-10 years.
b) Allow a young bull to serve up to 20 heifers in its first season when it is 12-15 months of age.
c) Later it can serve 30-60 cows annually depending on age, fertility and its physical fitness.
d) On good ley pasture, a mature bull requires two to four kilograms of concentrate per day.
e) Exercise is necessary to maintain muscular tone and activity and to prevent excessive fatness and flabbiness.
