Small-ScaleDairy Farming Manual |
Volume 1 |
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What should you know about milk quality ?
Why should you produce high quality milk ? ( 5 - 8 ) 1 High quality milk:
- earns you money
- is better for you
-keeps longer.
How can you produce high quality milk ? ( 9 - 12 ) 2 Make sure:
-you and your cows are healthy
-everything is clean
-you keep your milk cool and deliver quickly.
What affects the quality of
your milk ?3 The number ofbacteria in your milk ( 13 - 31) and the health of your cows
( 32 - 34 ).
4 Thequality of your feed
( 35 - 36 )
and thepurityof you milk
(39 - 43 ).
Why should you produce high quality milk ?
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5 They test your milk at the
collecting centre -
high quality milk
gets a
good price. |
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6 High quality milk has
many nutrient and few bacteria. |
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7 So it tastes good and makes you
strong and healthy and keeps. |
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8 Milk with
many bateria
tastes bad and does not keep. |
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9 Make sure:
- your cows are healthy |
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10 you are clean
your cow is clean
every thing at the milking place is clean |
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11 you keep your milk
cool |
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12 you get your milk
to the collecting centre in the shortest time possible |
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13 all milk contains
some bacteria |
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14 Milk with few bacteria is of
high quality. Milk with many bacteria is of low quality. You get more money for high quality milk. |
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15 if your milk is of low quality and contains
many bacteria,
you get less money and the milk collection centre may reject your milk. |
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16 Some bacteria produce acids
and turn the milk sour. |
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17 Some bacteria produce
gas and spoil your milk. |
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18 Most bacteria breakdown your milk
and reduce the nutrient value. |
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19 Some bacteria
can make you ill or even kill you. |
Where do the bacteria come from ?
Your cattle
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20 Healthy udders produce a
few bacteria, but only a few.
They do not harm your milk. |
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21 Diseased udders produce many bacteria, which can harm your milk and you. |
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22 Bacteria come from:
- dirt and faeces on the hind legs, udder and teats. |
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23 You:-sneezing and coughing- dirty hands and clothes - inflamed wounds. |
Milking Utensil
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24 Bacteria come from:
- dirty pails - dirty strainers - dirty churns - dirty udder cloths |
Environment
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25 Dirty walls and floors |
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26 Dust carries bacteria from:
- the surroundings - the manure heap - residues - the soil |
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27 Dirty water contains many bacteria. |
How can you keep the number of bacteria in your milk low ?
During milking
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28 Keep milk clean by:
- milking in a clean cow shed - using clean milking utensils -using clean milking practices. |
During storage
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29 Bacteria multiply quickly in a warm place. |
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30 Keep the collected milk in cans in a shady
and cool place.
Dip the cans in cold water before and after nilking. |
During transport
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31 Get your milk to the collecting centres as soon as possible after milking. |
Health
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32 High quality milk
comes from healthy cows. If your cow is sick, consult your extension worker. |
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33 If your cow has
mastitis, do not
deliver your milk.
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34 If your cow had
antibiotic injections,
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Feeding
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35 If your milk has bad taste
or smell, you may have to improve:
- cleaning
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36 Do not feed silage
and wet crop residues at the milking place. Smells from this and other feed may pass to your milk. |
Temperature
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37 Bacteria multiply in warm
milk.
Your milk has a bad smell and taste and spoils quickly. |
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38 Cool your milk after milking or deliver your
milk
immediately to the collecting centre. |
Purity
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How do you make sure your milk is pure ?
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40 Make sure you use detergents
and
disinfectants
to clean your milking equipment.
Follow instructions carefully
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41 Keep insecticides, pesticides
and other chemicals
away from the milking shed and the water supply. |
Hygiene
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Milking
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43 Prepare yourself,
your equipment and your cow well before milking. Apply the proper hand milking practice.
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