🧑🌾 Milker
Also known as: milking operator, milkmaid
Milks cows, most often with a machine: under EU rules the milk is cooled at once to 8 °C, or to 6 °C if collection is not daily.
A milker is a worker who milks cows; today this is most often a milking machine operator. According to the BLS, on dairy farms livestock workers run milking machines. EU Regulation 853/2004 requires hygienic milking: before milking starts, the udder, teats and adjoining areas have to be clean.
According to Wikipedia, one machine milking lasts 5-7 minutes on average, and a cow can be milked by machine 2-3 times a day: the cups alternate vacuum and normal pressure. The milk is filtered and cooled before it reaches the large tank. The risk is mastitis from unsterile equipment.
Regulation 853/2004 adds requirements for the milking itself. The milk of each animal is checked for changes in smell, appearance or composition; milk from animals with clinical signs of udder disease is not consumed unless the vet directs otherwise; milk from treated animals is not used until the end of the withdrawal period. Colostrum is milked separately and not mixed with raw milk. Right after milking, the milk is cooled to 8 °C if collected daily, or to 6 °C if collection is not daily. People who milk wear clean clothes, and facilities for washing hands and forearms have to be nearby.
According to the BLS, most farm workers need no formal education, on-the-job training lasts up to a month, and the work is mostly outdoors and seasonal.
Why it matters to you. A clean udder, a check of every cow's milk, separate colostrum and fast cooling are legal requirements that stand between the cow and the carton of milk.
Facts
| Legal basis | Regulation (EC) 853/2004: clean udder before milking, check of each animal's milk 1 |
|---|---|
| Temperature | At once ≤ 8 °C (≤ 6 °C if collection is not daily) 1 |
| Duration | Machine milking ≈ 5-7 min, 2-3 times a day |
| Main use | Milking cows, hygiene of udder and milk 1 2 |
How it connects to milk
🧑🌾 Milker → works with → 🔄 Milking → gives → 🥛 Milk
Links
- Works with
- 🔄 Milking, ⚙️ Milking machine, 🔄 Filtration
- Where they work
- 🏡 Dairy farm
- Who this is
- 🧑 Human
- Part of
- 🧑🌾 Farm jobs
Frequently asked questions
What does a milker do?
Prepares the udder for milking, attaches or runs the milking, checks the milk of each animal and watches the cleanliness and cooling of the milk (Regulation 853/2004, BLS).
How many times a day and for how long is a cow milked?
By machine 2-3 times a day, and one milking lasts 5-7 minutes on average (Wikipedia).
To what temperature is milk cooled after milking?
At once to 8 °C if the milk is collected daily, and to 6 °C if collection is not daily (Regulation 853/2004).
Can milk from a cow with an inflamed udder be used?
No, unless the vet directs otherwise: milk from animals with clinical signs of udder disease is not consumed (Regulation 853/2004).
Is it true that colostrum may be mixed with raw milk?
No. Regulation 853/2004 requires colostrum to be milked separately and not mixed with raw milk.
What to read next
- 🔄 Filtration — Removing impurities from milk: on the farm, a sieve or filter before the tank; at the dairy plant, a mesh filter, a clarifier and membranes that hold back even bacteria.
- 🧑 Human — Also a mammal; the only species that milks other animals itself and drinks their milk throughout life.
Similar
🧑🌾 Farmer · 🧑🌾 Herder · 👷 Animal scientist · 🧑⚕️ Veterinarian · 🧑🔧 Maintenance engineer · 🚛 Milk tanker driver
Sources
- Регламент (ЄС) № 853/2004: гігієнічні правила для харчових продуктів тваринного походження
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Agricultural Workers