• Teat is pressed with folded thumb and forefinger and drawn in downward direction.
• In this method, teat injuries may lead to mastitis.
• Pain may cause incomplete evacuation of udder and increased residual milk.
• This is not a good method.

• Most appropriate method. Teat is held within fingers encircling the teat.
• The base of teat being encircled by thumb and for finger.
• The teat is squeezed in between the middle, ring and little finger and hallows the palm, and then milk is forced out.
• The process is repeated in quick succession of alternate compression and relaxation.

• Teat is firmly squeezed at its base in between the thumb and forefinger which are then drawn downwards the entire length of teat pressing it thus causing downwards milk flow.
• The process is completed in quick successions using of both hands for different teats.

Procedure for hand milking

1. Clean the utensils and the milking room at least 2 hr. before actual milking.
2. Wash the animal, especially hindquarters, before bringing them to milking barn.
3. Tie the animal at its milking place and offer the concentrate.
4. Apply milkman’s knot (only to cows), wash the udder and teats with mild potassium permanganate solution and wipe with a clean duster.
5. Massage the udder and teats till let down occurs.
6. Take few stripping from each quarter in the strip cup and check for mastitis.
7. Hold the diagonal teats and milk with full palm method. Milk quickly, silently and completely.
8. Remove the last drops of milk by stripping method.
9. Pick up the milking bucket, un-tie the animal, weigh the milk and record the quantity of milk produced against the animal number.
10. Transfer the milk to the milk can through a strainer or muslin cloth and store at a cool place till its disposal.

• With the growing industrialization, the skilled labour for milking is decreasing day by day, thus, necessitating the urgency for switching towards mechanical milking.
• Milking machine was first devised in 1903 by Alexander Gillies of Australia.
• It is one of the most important equipment in dairy as it is used more hours per day.
• Modern milking machines are called double action milking machines since they use alternatively negative and atmospheric pressure in a double chambered teat cup assembly

• Here, the squeezing action of muscle surrounding the teat canal overcoming the utilization of vacuum created by the milking machine.
• In the milking machine there is a double chambered teat cup which consists of metal shell with rubber.
• The purpose of pulsator is to introduced atmospheric air and vacuum, alternately between the shell and liner of the teat cup. When pulsator is an open space for vacuum, liner takes its normal open shape and milk flows out.
• When air is introduced to open space, pressure is increased and outside of the liner of the teat cup causing collapse.
• This massages the teat and closes the teat orifice.In this phase of cycle, milk will not come out.

1. Tie the animal after cleaning and wiping its udder & teats and offer concentrate.
2. Turn the milking machine on and check the vacuum pressure. It should be 380 mm Hg for cows and 400/420 mm Hg for buffaloes.
3. Massage the teats and udder to ensure let down.
4. Apply the teat cups to the respective teats and see whether they are in correct position.
5. Stand quietly near the animal till milking is in progress.
6. When the milk flow ceases, remove the cluster by breaking its vacuum supply.
7. Weigh and record the milk produced.
8. Dip the teats of the animal in antiseptic solution.
9. Untie the animal.