Milking
Early every morning and late every afternoon the cows come in for milking.
They know when it’s milking time and they’re watching and waiting for the farmer to come and collect them.
When they reach the milking parlour, the cows take their places in the stalls.
The cows udders are wiped clean. The farmer then fits the four rubber cups of the milking machine onto the cows’ teats. The milking machine then starts to gently suck the milk from the cow.
The milk flows along a pipe to a jar where the amount of milk given is measured. All the milk then travels to the farm vat where it is cooled and kept here until the tanker from the dairy comes to collect it.
Everyday the tanker from the dairy visits the farm – it is like a huge cool box on wheels, keeping the milk cool on its way.
The milk from the farm is then transferred to tanker, ready for its journey to the dairy.
When the milk arrives at the dairy, it is heat treated and then cooled very quickly- this is to kill off harmful bacteria.
The milk is then packaged ready to be sold in shops, supermarkets or by a local milkman.