The Northland Farmer Dairy Shed Hygiene

Northern Advocate, 2 December 1939, Page 10

The Northland Farmer Dairy Shed Hygiene

Witli the almost universal use of the milking machine on bur farms, it isv necessary, both for the health of the stock and'the grade of the cream, to have a new conception of the meaning of shed hygiene.

’’ Milk is one of the best media for the culture of bacteria of all sorts, and, therefore, it is essential to keep the machines and the shed thoroughly sterilised. If a cow is suffering from any trouble, such as sore teats, cow pox, mastitis and so on, the trouble will spread very quickly unless the machine and washing rags are properly sterilised twice a day. It is advisable, moreover, if the machines are used on such cows, to bo certain that they are milked last. This will assist in the prevention of the spread of the trouble to other members of the herd.

If, moreover, the pipes and joints of the machine are not thoroughly attended to after each milking, minute quantities of milk will accumulate jn the very best of machines, and as these become a breeding ground for undesirable bacteria, they will be swept at the next milking into the separator and the cream, and there is then every chance of the cream losing grading.

Only One Way. £ There is only one way to thoroughly c.lean a machine, and that is by installing an efficient steriliser that will not only provide hot water, but also In dealing with milk and cream, we (are handling a food, and it is, therefore, necessary in the interests of the ’public that we be much more particular than most of us are at present. There is a right and a wrong way -.•:to clean a milking machine and uten- * sils. f First of all, one should scrub the outside of the cups and rubber leads. Z This will only take a few seconds, (but should be done thoroughly. ’>■ The cups should then be put in a bucket of cold or luke warm water v (never hot) and this is drawn by the 'vacuum through the machine. Milk contains an element called albumen that will coagulate with heat. The effect of the cold water is to remove most of the milk from cups, ( pipes, etc. The air lines should not be forgotten, as a small leak in any of the rubbers will cause milk to get into the air lines. Boiling Water, Soda. Having done this, the next thing is to put boiling water and washing soda through the machine, including the air lines, j The water must be boiling to be effective. If it is taken from a copper outside the .shed it will have cooled too much. If it is drawn from a steriliser in the shed it will be boiling. One should not skimp the water or soda. i This should remove the film of fat that will have formed on the machine. If one has pig drums, the water drawn through the machine can be run into the empty drum to clean it. Pig drums should be cleaned the same as all other parts of the equipment, and by doing it this way, it is no bother.

Grading of cream is often lost owing to the proximity to the shed of a «, dirty pig drum.

Even if it is some distance away, and a wind is blowing across it towards the shed, grading can easily be lost because the dust in the air car-

ries the bacteria to the shed, and they

are quick to find a home in the cream

Next Step.

The next step is to draw boiling water through the machine to remove the soda, to rinsj the machine, and to further sterilise it.

If there is a good supply of steam, with a lead from the steriliser, this should then be directed through the machine.

It all takes very little time if one has an efficient steriliser, but can never be properly carried out without one.

The steam should, combined with the other operations, quite effectively dispose of any harmful bacteria that may be present. The engine can be stopped and the machine now dismantled, all parts washed in a similar fashion, and put out in the sun until milking time. One sees time and time again dairy utensils out on a bendi in the sun with, however, a very thin, but, nevertheless, present film of grease on them.

It is this film that does all the damage, and only actual boiling water and soda, followed by a rinsing of boiling water and steam, can remove it. The life of a machine is extended by proper cleaning. Some people seem to think that because they cannot bear their hand in water, it is hot enough to sterilise.

That is not the case by a very long way. Ic is only when water reaches boiling point that it is effective to sterilise.

Beware of Dust. .When the machine is cleaned as set out, the work may still be to some extent undone if dust is deposited on the utensils between milkings. In the. case of most sheds there is an area bare of grass round the shed. In dry weather this becomes dusty, and the dust blows up and is deposited on the machine and utensils. This dust is always laden with bacteria, and can therefore undo the work of cleaning that has been done earlier. If this has occurred, it is advisable to send a jet of steam through the machine, followed by some cold water, before milking starts. This can be simply done with an efficient steriliser, but is never done in the absence of one. In dairy shed hygiene it is very important to consider the shed itself and its surroundings. There is no doubt that the best sheds have high concrete walls finished with plaster, so that they can be easily washed down. Corners should be rounded so that dust cannOt remain in them. The best bails are made of pipes painted white, and these can be quickly rubbed down with a rag each day. Many people are now planting small gardens round the shed. Some have vegetables, some Bowers, some both. This is not just a fad or a fancy. It is sound practice, because it makes use of the manure and stops the spread of dust. It is a very sound practical idea, and an increasing number of farmers are beginning to realise it. Badto in Shod. There is another point in this, and that is that it makes the work so much more pleasant if it is done in congenial surroundings. Just to digress for a moment while on this topic, a prominent farmer at Awanui has installed a small radio in his shed. Some say that music has a good effect on the cows. It may have, but the effect that he finds most important is that it has a good effect on the milkers.

Milking time passes so much more quickly and pleasantly, and goodness knows it is a dreary enough, monotonous job at the best of times.

The drainage from the shed should go .some distance away, leading to a sump placed in such a position that the prevailing winds will blow away from the shed.

Some regular method of manure disposal is advisable. It is all very nice throwing the dung over the yard into an ever-increasing heap. The trouble comes when this has to be eventually carted away. It is very heavy work. If, however, one has a sump which can be opened and the manure allowed to run into a sledge, this can be drawn over the

paddocks, preferably the hay paddock, and can be disposed of without waste. Manure allowed to lie exposed 1o the weather in a large heap loses a great deal of its value, whereas if it is distributed quickly and regularly, much of its value remains.

Room for Ingenuity,

Farmers could choose the site of the sump and build the sledge to meet the conditons of their farm. There is room for much ingenuity in doing this efficiently. One farmer had a sledge in the form of a large box a foot deep. The back board could be slightly raised, and’ the manure oozed out as the sledge was drawn over the paddock.

Others have used a cut-down tank into which everything went, and the liquid manure came out from a large pipe at the back. Not only is it a pity to waste the animal manure, but if it is allowed to accumulate near the shed, it can lead to all sorts of trouble, due to the bacteria that breed in it.

One very frequent source of trouble in the shed is the use of dirty rags to wash the teats of the cows.

If rags are used, they should be thoroughly washed and put out to dry after each milking, and should also be frequently changed. The source of bad grading of cream in many sheds can be readily understood if one puts one’s nose to the shed rags. Best Way. Various devices have been used to get over this trouble. On several 1 farms I have seen they have a short piece of hose leading from a tap in each bail, and the teats are washed by playing the hose on the udder and teals.

It is just very doubtful whether this spraying with cold water is good for the animal. They draw up the udder and hunch the back when it is done, and that does not seem good. The best way in all probability is to have lukewarm water and a rubber sponge, putting in the water some antiseptic.

The best germicide for use in sheds must be without any odour, as milk very quickly takes ub any odours that may be present. The best germicide is made of washing soda and chloride of lime, and many gallons of it can be made up for a few pence.

The quantities and details of making it can be obtained from any officer of the. Department of Agriculture. This can also be used with water every now and again for the shed floor, and is very effective. Simple, Straightforward.

Shed hygiene is a very simple, straightforward matter, and a routine can soon be worked out, so that everything is done automatically and thoroughly. It .is, however, essential to have proper facilities, the chief among them being an ample supply of really boiling water and also, preferably, steam. Brushes, brooms and soda are all else that is required. Some use caustic soda, but ordinary washing soda is quite efficient. The difficulty with caustic soda is that it is not a very nice thing to have about if there are any children on the farm. There have been many very distressing cases of caustic soda burns, and it is not really necessary to use it. Brushes should be discarded as soon as they become too soft. Brushes should always be put through the milk., pipes in the process of washing. They should go through with the soda and water, and not with the final rinsing water. They wifi loosen up any stubborn material. The knowledge and practice of dairy hygiene are very important because on it depends that quality in our dairy products for which we are always striving. Some farmers argue that with the pasteurisers and deodorisers used in the factories, it does not matter. Good butter cannot, however, be made from bad cream.

Quality depends largely on the efforts made on the farm, and quality happily is connected with cleanliness, and cleanliness with pleasurable work.