Milk quality and udder health are pieces of any successful dairy operation. To produce quality milk it is important that all employees are on the same page when they enter the parlor.

A parlor routine can help to create consistency between employees and different milking shifts. Include these 10 steps in your pre-milking routine to improve milk quality.

1.  Before starting your shift, gather all of the supplies that will be needed for milking. Important equipment to remember includes: clean gloves, clean milker apron, a clean non-return teat dip cup or automatic teat dip foamer, sprayer or dipper without leaks and clean cloth, microfiber or paper towels.

2.  Check milking equipment to make sure that the final sanitize cycle completes properly. It’s critical that all washwater has drained from the receiver jar, milk lines and the rest of the milking system. When the wash cycle is completed, add a clean milk filter to the milk pipe.

3.  Move all pipes to connect to the bulk tank or ensure that the tanker line is properly connected to the milk tanker and functioning properly.

4.  Switch all control valves from the “wash” setting to the “milk” setting. Make sure that the plate cooler and/or chiller is on.

5.  Visually verify that all connections are in the proper setting and that all equipment is clean.

6.  Take all milking units out of the jetter cups and hook them up to prepare for milking.

7.  Turn the milk pump on.

8.  Perform a visual walkthrough of the equipment room to be sure that everything appears and sounds normal. Listen for air leaks, pulsation rate and abnormal sounds.

9.  Check the vacuum gauge to make sure that the vacuum level corresponds to the posted vacuum level for the dairy. (The specific vacuum level will vary based on operation setup and desired levels of compression.)

10.  Just after milking begins, check the milk room to make sure there are no milk leaks or problems.  EL


Keith Engel
Dairy Farm Hygiene & Supplies Specialist
GEA Farm Technologies
(630) 640-3665
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it