Top 10 milkers' mistakes in milking parlors: One towel for several cows

Cattle Care offers its customers a free product demo because seeing it is better than hearing about it a hundred times! In 2022, our system analyzed hundreds of hours of video from various milking parlors, and we want to share some statistics with you.

The most common issue observed during demos was the use of one towel for several cows. On average, for parallel milking parlors, this issue occurred at a frequency of 36.7 cases per demo. In practice, this means that on average, 16 cows are wiped with used towels per hour of work in the milking parlor. (on some farms, up to 17% of cows are affected by this issue per hour)

For rotary milking parlors, the issue frequency was 25.6. In practice, this means that on average, 7 cows are wiped with used towels per hour of work in the milking parlor.

Why is using one towel for more than one cow dangerous? NMC recommends thoroughly drying the teats with single-service paper or individual cloth towels, regardless of how the teats are prepared. Milking wet teats increases the risk of mastitis and reduces milk quality. Cloth towels must be washed, sanitized, and dried in automatic machines before reuse. The milker's hands should be washed and disinfected frequently during milking to reduce contamination of clean towels. Clean towel containers should also be cleaned after each milking to reduce bacterial contamination.

To take care of the towels, it's crucial to wash them properly at a temperature above 90°C to kill all bacteria, use the right amount of laundry detergent, and replace them regularly. Using washing machines designed for washing towels or disposable paper towels for drying off teats is also preferable.

Stay tuned for our upcoming posts to find all issues from the top 10 milkers' mistakes in milking parlors!