The layout and the equipment 

 should favor quick disposal of the 

 milk. The operator needs to get back 

 to the cows as soon as possible. Fail- 

 ure to begin machine stripping with- 

 in 3 to 31/^ minutes after machines are 

 attached was found to be the major 

 barrier to good milking. To avoid 

 delay, the milk receiving equipment 

 should be prepared before milking be- 

 gins, as in Fig. 9. The 10-gallon 

 milk shipping cans should be in posi- 

 tion to receive milk and the covers 

 loosened. Two large strainers should 

 be assembled and in position ready 

 for milk on two of the 10-gallon cans. 

 The operator can carry two pails, 

 holding approximately 13 quarts of 

 milk each, on each trip. He can 

 empty a pail in each of the strainers 

 and return to the stable. Three trips 

 will approximately fill the two cans 

 and on the fourth trip the strainers 

 can be transferred to the next two 

 cans. Under these conditions a trip 

 to the milk house will require from 

 0.5 to 0.8 minutes. 



The operators should train them- 

 selves to concentrate during the brief 

 milking period to follow whatever 

 definite pattern is most feasible for 

 their situation. An average man, if 

 trained, can milk normal cows at the 

 rate of 3 man minutes or less per 

 cow per milking. In fact, records as 

 low as 2.1 man minutes per cow per 

 milking were indicated. Efficient 

 rapid milking procedure requires con- 

 centration and self discipline in fol- 

 lowing a definite sequence. If the 

 operator is overtired, is not concen- 

 trating, or is disturbed by \isitors, he 

 may fail to follow through and be- 

 come involved in time consuming sit- 

 uations. Observations indicate that 

 most men cannot carry on a conver- 

 sation and concentrate on milking at 

 the same time. A five-minute rest 

 period just before milking may be a 

 profitable use of time on some farms. 

 The man is then better prepared to 



concentrate on this definite task of 

 milking. The rest period emphasizes 

 the importance of the task. For de- 

 tailed information on milking, see Ex- 

 periment Station Circulars 76 and 80. 



Fig. 9. This shows a good arrange- 

 ment of shipping cans before 

 milking. Note that seven 10- 

 gallon shipping cans have 

 been arranged in a semi- 

 circle, the covers loosened 

 and two large strainers sub- 

 stituted for covers on two 

 cans. The mallet for loosen- 

 ing cans is on the milk 

 cooler. The supply of empty 

 cans are tiered up in the cor- 

 ner. The operator ordinarily 

 poured milk from the center 

 of the room, but moved to the 

 wall to show the strainers 

 when the picture was taken. 



Care of Milk 



The care of the milk on wholesale 

 milk farms consists of making the can 

 covers secure and putting the cans 

 into the cooler tank. In hot weather 

 the operators try to get the cans into 

 coolers as soon as they are full, but 

 usually there is some leeway as to 

 when they are put in. Since the ship- 

 ping cans are in position near the 

 coolers before the milking begins, the 

 operator can secure the can cover, 



15 



