Having grown up on a dairy farm and now working in the insurance business for 10+ years we insure multiple farms and the interesting thing is that there is a wide spectrum on how the cows are milked. I don’t think there is any right or wrong way to milk a cow. I think it comes down to personality, lifestyle, and of course budget plays a role in which route a farmer takes to milk those cows
My answer to the above question is “SIX”. Here are my six ways to milk a cow:
By hand – Of course this method is not used on a mass scale any more, but it was the original way to milk a cow and is used periodically today if a farmer needs to “strip a quarter”. Only a dairy farmer will understand what “strip a quarter” means.
Bucket milker – I refer to this method as a “bucket milker”. Typically a vacuum pump is used and the milk goes into a bucket below the udder.
Tie Stall – This is where cows are tied in rows and they are milked by a “milker claw” where both a vacuum line and milk line are attached to the milker to draw milk from the cow. The cow does not move.
Parlour – Similar to the tie stall in the method, but the cows can move around at anytime and walk to the parlour at a designed time to be milked by the farmer.
Rotary Parlour – Another form of a parlour where the cow enters a “merry-go-round” type unit and gets milked while it turns. If I was a cow, this might be my preference – it is like a roller coaster ride while you are getting milked!
Robots – The robot is stationary and the cow enters the “robot” and generally has a snack while the robot milks the cow.
So there are my “SIX” different ways to milk a cow. If I have missed one, or you would like to ask questions about any of the different methods give me call at Absolute Insurance Brokers and talk to a dairy farm insurance expert at 1-877-941-2266.
