16 



BULLETIN^ 423^ U. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGEICULTTJEE. 



(1) Has the use of the mechanical milker influenced the produc- 

 tion of your herd ? 



There were 156 answer as follows : 



No difference. 



Less. 



More, if anything. 



124 



16 



16 



(2) Do you find that the machine has magnified or lessened 

 sore teats, spider in the teats, garget, milk fever, and other udder 

 troubles ? 



There were 129 answers as follows: 



No difference. 



Less trouble from More trouble from 

 udder diseases. udder diseases. 



lin 



11 



S 



Thus it appears that the majority of the farmers visited believe 

 that the milking machine has no effect one way or another in the 

 general welfare of the herd. These figures are given merely as in- 

 dicative of the trend of opinion among farmers; they are not to be 

 taken as conclusive. A conclusive answer to these questions could 

 be given only after a careful and comprehensive stud3^ 



EFFECT OF AGE OF COW ON EFFICIENCY OF MACHINE MILKING. 



The readiness with which a herd of cows becomes accustomed to the 

 milking machine depends upon several factors, the most important 

 of which is the age of the animals. It is the general experience of 

 farmers that young cows which are broken in to milk with the me- 

 chanical milker take to it more readily than older ones which have 

 become accustomed to hand milking. They become used to it in 

 a shorter time and milk out cleaner than older cows. Many young 

 cows are difficult to milk b}^ hand on account of their short teats. 

 Short-teated cows and "hard milkers" are as easily milked by the 

 machine as any others. 



A herd which has been roughiy treated becomes nervous and will 

 not be broken in to the milking machine as readily as one which has 

 been handled more gently. Some old cows never will become accus- 

 tomed to the milking machine so as to be milked satisfactorily by it. 

 It is best to milk such cows by hand or to sell them. On the other 

 hand, cows averse to hand milking have been milked with good 

 results by the mechanical milker. 



