Training new employees in milking procedure always reminds me of the importance of timing in the barn. Whether “the barn” is a parlor, tie stall, rotary, robot, or some other type of milking facility, timing and consistency is critical to milk letdown.

“The little things we do during milking time have a profound effect on udder health and milk quality,” Christina Petersson-Wolfe shared in a recent Virginia Cooperative Extension Dairy Pipeline article. “Specifics of milk procedures may vary from farm to farm. However, the basics of timing should ideally be the same or similar on every farm.”

While research hasn’t indicated that one style or type of teat preparation is exclusively superior to other preparations, there is a good deal of agreement on critical timing benchmarks for procedural success.

That starts with the amount of time predip is given to disinfect the teat. Most common teat disinfectant solutions recommend 30 seconds of contact time. Petersson-Wolfe shared that the contact time could take place while manual stimulation is occurring as long as the timing benchmark was observed.

It is also important for those that milk to understand the biology of milk letdown. The associate professor explained that oxytocin needs time to reach adequate concentration in the udder. Similarly, maximum letdown effect requires the milker to be attached in a timely manner.

What are those times?

According to Petersson-Wolfe, a milking unit should be attached between 60 and 90 seconds after first tactile stimulation of the udder.

“We must ensure that the ‘prep-lag-time’ has an average length of 90 seconds from start of tactile stimulation. Prep-lag-time is defined as the time from the start of stripping, massaging, or wiping the teats with a towel (whichever comes first) to unit attachment,” she detailed.

When training new employees or evaluating current milking staffers, Petersson-Wolfe recommends using a stopwatch to check normal lag times.

“Once you have a routine established, you will need to monitor the process monthly to ensure the timeframes are being met,” she suggested. “Proper milking procedures will help lower somatic cell count, increase pounds in the tank, and decrease milkout time.”