Cows Will Tell You Whether They’re Happy With How They’re Milked
Did you know cows can tell us if they’re happy with how they’re milked? A recent article from DairyHerd.com gives insight into our bovine buddies and their milking preferences. Just goes to show, when it comes to their well-being, every detail matters!
Rhonda Brooks writes, “Teat end scoring provides Paul Virkler with some valuable insights into a dairy cow’s milking experience.
“In the immediate term, it tells us whether that cow is happy with the way she was milked,” says Virkler, DVM, Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Services, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.
“Make sure you score a haphazard sample of the cows being milked. You want first-lactation animals, older cows, mid-lactation, etc., a good representation of the herd,” he says.
Factors such as hardness, color changes, swelling and abrasions figure into the assessment, which should be done immediately after the milking unit is removed from the animal.”
To learn more: Read the full article by Rhonda Brooks with Dairy Herd Management
