Here--in a condensed, easy-to-follow form--is the routine I use to prep my Dexter cows' udders for milking. An expanded version, including explanations and rationales, can be found here.
Clean. Brush or wipe the udder with a clean cloth to remove dirt and debris.
Let the cow into the stanchion and close the neck catch.
Dip. Pre-dip each teat with an iodine dip from the GREEN for GO cup.
Count at least 30 seconds after the last teat is dipped.
Dry. Firmly wipe each teat with a separate paper towel or separate side of a clean cloth.
Wipe each teat with a separate teat wipe to remove excess teat dip. (This is a step I add that many milkers do not use.)
Apply Bag Balm to each teat.
Strip. Strip each teat 3 times into a cup to check for clumps.
Milk.
Strip. Strip each teat until no more milk comes out.
Dip. Post-dip each teat with iodine dip from the RED for STOP cup.
Clean. Let the cow out and sweep out (or hose, if necessary) the stanchion.
Thanks to my Keeping a Family Cow friends for their help in condensing the original post into a more manageable form! They generously responded to my original post, and I thought the poll in the link was helpful, too--especially Charlotte Smith's video.
If you want it condensed even more, here are the Seven Essential Steps in a recitable mantra:
Clean
Dip
Dry
Strip
Milk
Strip
Dip
If you want it condensed even more, here are the Seven Essential Steps in a recitable mantra:
Clean
Dip
Dry
Strip
Milk
Strip
Dip
Nice Susan, I will look for this post again if I decide to milk. Good post, should help others as well.
ReplyDeleteI would love to see you milking one of your Highlands, Gordon! I would think their udders would stay nice and clean under all that hair, and think how warm your hands would stay in the winter! :)
DeleteTERRIFIC !!!!!!!!! THANK YOU !!!!!! Mare
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Mare! I'm glad you asked and spurred me to do this!
DeleteThank you! Anything I can do to practice milking and strengthen my hands?
ReplyDeleteHi, Magmom! Joann recommends in her Keeping a Family Cow book (and if you don't already have it, there's a link on the KFC forum) to take Vitamin C and Vitamin E. The only thing I can think of to suggest in the way of exercise would be to get two firm rubber balls and practice squeezing them in your hands. I suppose if you had a large piece of rope you could even practice the milking squeeze on it. :) I used to practice the rhythm with just my bare hands--squeezing thumb and forefinger together and rolling the other fingers down one by one. Honestly, though, I don't think there's much to beat actual milking for strengthening--and you get your own real cow's milk to compensate for any discomfort as you build up your strength. :) If your hands get tired, you can switch to a stripping motion with your thumb against the base of your forefinger. I only milk one teat at a time (I'm weird), so that allows me to switch hands to rest one. Obviously if your cow is a huge producer, that won't help because you'll be there all day. ;) I'm also weird in that I milk from both sides. I have a bad shoulder from an old injury, and by switching sides I don't have to reach quite so far under the cow to get to the other side. I found the reaching made my upper arms hurt more than the milking did my hands, so I scoot my "stool" in close. The main thing that bothers me is my left thumb joint where it joins my hand. I have osteoarthritis there & even the chiropractor can't unblock that joint. So I keep a natural camphor/menthol pain relief rub and massage it in there after milking if it bothers me.
DeleteGood luck, and please stop back and let us know how it goes! I'm really excited for your new adventure with your first cow!
I get to pick up my Dexter on Saturday! Her name is Magpie and she is a little red darling! She is due in May so I'm hoping I can get us acquainted and into a nice routine by then.
DeleteThank you so much for the help/info. I actually read KFC last year, but my memory isn't always so great. :-)
I'm so excited for you! I hope to see photos on the KFC forum! You should have plenty of time to make friends with her before she's due. If your seller is available to mentor you, so much the better, but I always love helping people any way I can. If you ever want to talk, just use the "Contact Susan" feature on here and I'll be glad to email you my phone number. And as you know, the KFC forum is a wellspring of help! Not always Dexter-centric, but full of help. :)
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