MASSAGE OF UDDERS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1679, 4 May 1904, Page 66

MASSAGE OF UDDERS

Some time ago a Danish investigator found that by manipulating each quarter of a cow’s udder in a particular way after milking that an extra quantity of strippings could be- procured, and thus the maximum results be obtained. The idea was that as milk was formed in the spongy glands of the udder (to put>.

the matter in a general way) and flowed down the pipes or sinuses to the “cistern” at the top of the teat, by squeezing and working each quarter in turn an extra dribble could be obtained, and extended trial found that this was the case. Some of our Yankee cousins—with the usual alacrity to test farm matters—took hold of the idea, and ir lias hern thoroughly tried on some of their college herds under proper supervision. The result has been published in an illustrated pamphlet form with everything reduced to- percentages and cash . value. Thera is no doubt that

there is a gain, but it is at a tremendous expenditure of time and energy, and it is rat which no ordinary farmer would ever be able to get done. Reduced to British money the gam in extra milk and: butter was worth 12s 6d

per cow per annum, while to get this extra yield! several minutes had to he repent on each cow's udder each milk-

ingr-the manipulator, meanwhile, crouching in a very uncomfortable position. In ordinary practice it is becoming increasingly difficult to get efficient 'milkers to do their work in the ordinary way, and it Avould he quite impossible to get- any manoeuvres like this carried out, while even if it could be

done efficiently the gain would not compensate for the trouble. It is of course always thegetting out of the last stripping which is the trouble, and which if not done will tend to spoil the milking power of the cow. but the stripping manipulation may be carried too far, and it is comforting to find that this extra trouble does not pay.