If you are working on a farm that has a stanchion (a wooden box-like structure used for securing a cow’s head so that it can be milked, vaccinated, or branded), you can effectively secure the cow. Sophisticated stanchions will have a bar or lever on the side that will gently clamp wooden or metal slats around the cow’s neck and hold it immobile. More rudimentary stanchions may need to be fastened with a crossbeam or piece of wire.
Don’t make any sudden movements. If you surprise her, she may panic and kick you or step on you. Tying the cow’s tail to her leg will prevent her from swishing you with it. Tail hair does not tie well, and it will come loose after a few minutes. Alternatively, you can tie the tail up and around the neck, which may be less frightening to the cow.
Washing with warm water may help coax or “bring down” the milk.
As you dry them, don’t scratch or irritate the teats. They are sensitive, and the cow may jerk or try to kick you if you cause any pain.
Some people prefer to use udder cream (also called udder balm or udder butter) to lubricate the cow’s udder. Like petroleum jelly, udder cream will reduce friction during milking. You can purchase udder cream at any farm or ranch supply store.
Some cows only stand still if they’re given grain or hay to munch on while you go about your business. If your cow is demanding, keep an eye on her food. Be ready to replenish it, or else she’ll let you know she wants more by becoming restless and difficult to work with.
Sitting as close as possible to the cow protects you because if she does kick out you will merely be knocked over, versus giving her a distance to connect with and hurt you. Sitting cross-legged on the ground is not safe, as the cow could easily step on or kick you.
You may need to “bump the bag” or gently bump against/nudge the udder to help stimulate the udder to let down milk as a calf would. This can help the cow’s milk let down and increase your yield.
After you’ve milked 1 quarter, repeat the motion with your other hand on the adjacent quarter. Most people prefer to alternate (right hand, left hand, right hand, etc. ) The downward squeezing motion takes less effort doing it in alternate steps than all at the same time.
Watch your feet when moving near the cow. A cow often weighs over 1,000 lbs (450 kg). If she steps on your foot, those 1,000 lbs will hurt quite a bit and could break your foot.
Consequently, the milk produced from stripping should not be squirted into the bucket, or it may contaminate the rest of the milk. Let it fall onto the ground.
Some cows lift their back leg and kick over the bucket or knock off the suction devices. Keep the handle positioned so you can grab the bucket should she decide to kick the bucket. For this reason as well you should do your best to monitor and not walk away from the cows when they are being milked.
Due to udder differences or teat structural problems, some cows will take more than 7 minutes to be fully milked. Keep an eye on the milking device, and make sure that milk is still flowing. As soon as milk stops flowing, remove the device.
Many modern milking machines do not require the person milking the cow to manually remove the suction cups. Once one quarter has been milked dry, they automatically fall off, one by one. Be careful not to trip over the milking machine’s tubes or wires as you move around the milking area.
Cows often like to eat after they’ve been milked, so provide the cow with fresh grass or hay.
