How to Milk From the Left Side of a Cow

Humans domesticated the cow for milk as early as 4,000 B.C. Since then, farmers have developed many types of dairy cattle, which can produce up to 10 gallons of milk each day. Farmers can milk a cow from either side of the animal; the approach depends on culture and tradition. For example, Scottish and South African farmers milk from the left side while the British milk from the right side. If you are milking from the left side, you should follow certain precautions to ensure safety of the milk and comfort for the cow.

Things You'll Need

  • Stool
  • Milk pail
  • Bucket
  • Warm water
  • Cloth
  • Shears
  • Black nylon cloth
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Instructions

  1. Check for Mastitis

    • 1

      Place your milking stool on the left side of the cow by approaching the cow from the head and moving along its side inside the milking station. Do not walk behind the cow; like horses, they can startle and kick out with their hind legs.

    • 2

      Sit down on the stool. Lay the nylon cloth over the top of the milk pail and place the pail underneath the cow.

    • 3

      Wash the cow's udder with a cloth and a bucket of warm water. Use gentle, even strokes to wipe away dirt that could cause infection. If necessary, trim the hair around the udders with the shears.

    • 4

      Coerce the milk from the udders and into the teats using the stripping method. Use your thumb and index finger of your left hand to pinch one of the front teats at the point where it connects to the udder. Maintain an even pressure and slide your finger and thumb down the entire length of the teat and then repeat this step for all other teats.

    • 5

      Examine the nylon cloth for signs of the bacterial infection mastitis. If the cow's udders are infected, you will see clumps of milky substance on the nylon cloth and the milk that filtered through will look yellow. You cannot use infected milk and will have to treat the cow for this illness.

    • 6

      Discard the filtered milk and set the nylon cloth aside if you don't see any signs of mastitis.

    Milking the Cow

    • 7

      Use the nievling, or "whole hand" method to milk the cow. Grip the entire front, right teat with your left hand and the entire rear, left teat with your right hand. You want to milk diagonally opposite teats simultaneously.

    • 8

      Squeeze the index finger and thumb of each hand tight to prevent any more milk from entering the teats while you are emptying them.

    • 9

      Squeeze the fingers of your left hand in sequence, from middle finger to pinky to empty the teat. After you have squeezed the milk out with your pinky, release your index and thumb to allow milk to refill the teat.

    • 10

      Squeeze the fingers of your right hand in sequence, from middle finger to pinky. Perform this step as you are allowing the teat in your left hand to refill. You ultimately want to coordinate the actions of both hands so that you are emptying one teat while allowing the other one to refill.

    • 11

      Repeat Steps 2 through 4 until the volume of milk ejected slows to a trickle. Switch your hands to the remaining two teats and repeat Steps 2 through 4 until the volume of milk ejected slows to a trickle. When you are ready to finish, use the stripping method on each teat to empty it completely.