A DAIRYING HERD.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 July 1925, Page 4

A DAIRYING HERD.

cleanliness in the sited

daxisi-i experts views

CHRISTCHURCH, duly 30,

Air Peter Hansen. a well-known Danish dairy expert, who for some time lias been studying conditions in New Zealand, is at present in Christchurch. Mr Hansen is a graduate of the Copenhagen University in dairy science, and has- had an extensive practical experience of dairying, the practical side being an important element in the educational policy of his native country. His knowledge of 'noth the practical and scientilic side of the industry allows him to speak on the subject most informatively.

Mr Hanson frankly thinks that thcio is room for much improvement in many aspects of our dairying practice. Now that the season is again at hand a tew remarks on the actual milking operations might he opportune. He had road much good advice on bow to feed ;,„d test, but there was much to lie :. ;:l id about the last stage on the farm—tlie actual production of the milk and cream. Whatever advice had been followed in regard to feeding and core of stock a dairyman might not he delivering the pure article wanted by factories, and the most important point in the industry was the quality of the eleant and milk supplied. He was ol opinion, alter his personal in\estimations, that there, is much that is careless and thoughtless, and sometimes lazy, in the matter of conducting the dairy oil many farms. and many farmers are not therefore producing the qiialitv wanted. There had always been friendly rivalry between Denmark and New Zealand in regard to the butter trade. Every farmer in Denmark knew of New Zealand, and is always talking about it. and watching it in H, O ,-ace for the world’s butter market. New Zealand had one outstanding advantage in the matter of (-Innate and soil hut. there was a certain lack of intuition amongst the farmers themselves as tit what constituted a wellmanaged and, 'Will-conducted dairy shod.

handling the cow. The first point Mr Hansen stressed was ail iibiection to dogs around the shed when milking was going on. The lack of harking and noise was better for the cows. Too many cows m the yards at one time was another objec'tinn. When the cow was being chained and leg-roped it was had prm-l.ee to rush the iob. It was good policy before bringing in the cows to have mut--1,.,.s , v ady in the shed for milking as Siam as tiie cows arrived, as they often went into the hails themselves. Jn Denmark it was the practice b,f milkers to Wash their hands anil lace bel'niv commencing milking It "as usual to put three to four gallons of pure eohl water through the milking machine before starting in order t» remove any possible germs m the pipes or teat cups. All c-ws should have the hair eul close around their teals, as the jiving of the cup on the teat frequently caught the hair and irritated the cow, besides conducing to dirt entering milk. A good solution to wash lh° hands in was one tablespoon!'ill of l.vsol to four gallons of water. The udder and teats .should he rubbed he fore fixing mi the Clips, and it was advisable to take ii light “squirt” of milk ii'iim each tent, as during the day bacteria or other deleterious substance may have entered the passage of the teat. The quantity of milk so lest would not amount to more than half a gallon m a herd of (ill cows. This milk should he thrown in a hole well away from the shed and covered with a solution ol Ivsol to kill possible germs. Cracked t'eaU can he cured by an np| l icalion „f 111, ol rendered fat to three or lour l abb-spoon I uls of castor oil, mixed up and allowed to stand until cold, and applying every .morning. The teat cups should be put on when the udder j.. wet. as on dry teat there "(I* a ;cml'-n<-\ for them to fall oil. Alter stripping the cow let the hand go ail over the udder to feel if there is a hard quarter. 11 prepares the dairyman lor Dm treatment of incipient mummitis or oiher troubles. Tin- udder when mi1k,,,1 out should he elastic and soft. Do not. rush the row out nl the hail. Patience in the dairy is desirable. When milking is finished take a foiirgalluti tilt of cold clear water to the Inrth; sL end ol' the shed, put. the bush into the milking pij e and the teat cups in a bucket of water. Wash the cups, put them in a separate bucket, and then let the brush go right through t!,e pipe to the reh-ase end. and pull toe eater through the clips to the pipe. Then puli the brush back through the water Dial will be lying in Die milking pipe. This process will leave the pipe quite clean. The cups can be washed in the ordinary way. The general practice in New Zealand is to Hush the Miller tlilough each teat cup. hut this practice permits substances to lodge in the pipe. The practice is not stiflicieni. Alter tin- procedure with cold water the same should he done with hot water. CARE OF THE MACHINE. One of the present-day disadvantages of milking machines is the groat length of solid pipe which is allowed to remain in position in the slu’d from year to year, and which must trust, to luck so far as cleaning is concerned. 'I he pipe should he cut into handy lengths, of Oft to Bft. each joint to he connected to the other by rubber lulling, and the whole made so that it can easily he taken down ’Weekly .and Gleaned thoroughly. This gets rid of any substance that would lie difficult to reach under the one-pipe system. Il the cups are put in a bucket with Hie lid on the latter should have holes in it to allow thn nil* to cjot through. Always rcnioniher to put cold water through the clips prior to milking. The releasor should be taken off daily and cleansed thoroughly. In Denmark it, is the practice for milkers to change the clothes twice a week, r.ecoiding to the nature of the work. Immediately after milking the cream should he taken to a clean, dry. cold place, and occasionally

stirred. Do not put warm cream in with cold, as fermentation will quickly set in. Cans .should lie rinsed out wit cold water before milking, and the hands washed frequently during milking operations, particularly where hand milking is employed. The foregoing points only deal with the management of the herd in the -hid. the I are and cleaning of the machine, sanitation, and the handling of the milk up to the separator stage, but if cleanliness ,-tieh as is stressed in this department is observed it will go a long way. in Mr Hansen’s opinion, in promoting the industry and the welfare of those engaged in it. A dairyman can feed the best, and test and cull the best, hut if he is careless in the final act of the operation most of the other good work is nullified. Clean goods mean the purest manufactured product. As dairymen know, there has been occasional adverse comment about some of our dairy produce. Perhaps the cause might he found in the care or rather the lack of it, exercised in the cow bvre.