Cattle farming: milking, udder health and milk quality
Good milking routine and continuous monitoring as the foundation for a healthy herd
In livestock farming, milking is the action repeated several times daily throughout the year, and it is at the same time the task where routines and hygiene have the greatest impact on both the animal's health and milk quality. A good milking routine is not just a technical detail — it is the very foundation for a healthy herd and stable milk production.
§Good milking routines
According to the industry's professional guidance, good and consistent milking routines are crucial for good milk quality. The routine should allow time for the cow to come into milk and must at the same time minimise the risk of transferring bacteria between animals.
- 01Clean and dry teats before milking reduce the risk of transferring bacteria to the milking system.
- 02Pre-treatment — for example stripping of the first streams and visual inspection of the milk — reveals early signs of udder inflammation.
- 03A fixed recognizable sequence and calm handling gives less stress and better milk letdown.
- 04Post-processing of pins (dipping) protects the duct against bacteria until it closes naturally again.
§Udder inflammation — the most common disease
Udder inflammation (mastitis) is the most common disease in dairy cows and is one of the most important reasons animals leave the herd prematurely. Inflammation can develop from infection from other cows via the milking equipment or from infection from the animal's immediate environment, for example from dirty bedding or wet floors. Both prevention through hygiene and early detection of sick animals are crucial to keeping the incidence down.
§Cell count as a measure of udder health
The cell count — the number of white blood cells per millilitre of milk — is used as the central measure of a herd's udder health because the cell count rises when the udder is infected. According to Landbrugsinfo/SEGES the target in the Danish cattle sector is an average cell count of 150,000 while the actual national average has been somewhat higher. A low and stable cell count is therefore an important indicator of whether the herd's prevention and milking routines are working.
§Milking robots and continuous monitoring
En stor del af danske og nordiske malkekvægsbesætninger malker i dag med automatiske malkesystemer (AMS), også kaldet malkerobotter. Her overvåges mælkekvaliteten løbende af sensorer, der måler blandt andet celletal, ledningsevne og farve på mælken fra hvert enkelt yverkvarter, så afvigende mælk kan frasorteres automatisk, og driftslederen får et tidligt signal om et dyr, der er ved at udvikle yverbetændelse.
| Parameter | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Cell count | Degree of inflammation/irritation in the udder |
| Conductivity | Changed salt balance in milk, often an early sign of mastitis |
| Milk color/appearance | Visible changes that point to acute udder inflammation |
| Milking time per quarter | Can reveal uneven milking or damage to the teat |
§From data to action
Data from the milking robot are only useful if they are followed up in practice: animals with abnormal values must be checked, and repeated problems should be investigated further, possibly with the help of a veterinarian. Good udder health is therefore a balance between preventive hygiene in the barn, a consistent milking routine, and systematic use of the numbers that technology makes available.
“Milk quality is not created in the tank — it is created every time a teat is cleaned, a milking unit is attached, and a cow is handled calmly and consistently.”
— Professional guidance on milking and milk quality.