🔄 Milking

Milking means getting milk from the udder. Cows are usually milked 2–3 times a day, by hand or by machine. Before milking, the udder is prepared: the teats are cleaned and stimulated. The touch makes the cow release the hormone oxytocin. After about a minute, it triggers milk “let-down” — a reflex without which the udder does not empty fully.

The first squirts are milked out separately and checked: this shows whether the udder is healthy. Then the teat cups are put on, or the cow is milked by hand. On average, a cow is milked out in 3–5 minutes. Milking for too long harms the udder. A third milking a day can add 5–25% more milk, but it takes more work.

On modern farms, cows are milked in milking parlours. In a herringbone or parallel parlour, cows stand in rows. In a rotary parlour, they stand on a turning platform, and up to 250 cows can be milked in an hour. Since the 1990s, milking robots have spread: the cow decides for herself when to go for milking, usually 2–3 times a day. Right after milking, the milk is filtered and cooled. People milk not only cows but also goats, sheep, buffaloes and other animals.