Video tips: look and learn new ways to better milking
Many farmers have learned through years of experience, but may have had little or no formal training.
There are lots of tips and tricks to making milking easier, quicker, more cow and farmer friendly, and less likely to contribute to mastitis spread in your herd.
Video clips with guidelines and recommendations for production of high quality milk have been developed at Teagasc, Moorepark, in order to improve milk quality.
Videos can also be seen on the www.youtube.com/user/TeagascMedia channel.
They include valuable information on all aspects of quality milk production, specifically addressing milking management on smaller (12-unit parlour) and larger (24-unit parlour) farms; and on farms with adequate labour (two people milking) and those with some automation (automatic cluster removers and cluster flushing).
The video will help farmers, milk quality advisors, vets and milking machine manufacturers.
At www.agresearch.teagasc.ie/moorepark/milkquality/index.asp, additional information on the chemical composition of cleaning products and procedures for cleaning equipment can be accessed.
Also available are the CellCheck Milking Tips, a series of short milking technique videos (one to three minutes long).
The series titles are post-milking teat disinfection, identifying problem cows, changing liners, machine maintenance, less mastitis equals more profit, reducing the spread of infection, and dry cow therapy.
Members of the CellCheck technical working group — Don Crowley of Teagasc, Brendan Dillon of Glanbia, and vet Frank O’Sullivan — explain and demonstrate practical, hands-on methods to maximise udder health.
It is suitable for everyone milking cows, including farmers who have milked for years, young farmers starting out, teenagers working on farm, farm relief staff and agricultural trainees.
To watch online, go to www.cellcheck.ie/videos.
