1. Start with a clean and dry environment for housing cattle.
2. Wash teats with an udder wash or pre-dip and allow 20 to 30 seconds time to kill any bacteria.
3. Fore-strip 2-4 squirts of milk from each teat to evaluate for clinical mastitis.
4. Dry teats completely with an individual paper or cloth towel
5. Attach the milk machine within one minute of stimulation, and adjust as necessary for proper alignment; avoid liner slips.
6. When milk flow ceases, shut off the vacuum before removing units; allow automatic take-offs to remove units.
7. No machine stripping.
6. Check quarters to see if milked out; check for abnormal swelling or quarters.
7. Dip teats immediately with an effective teat dip; cover the bottom one-third to one-half of the teat. If applied by spray, make sure that the back portions are covered.
Mike Hutjens, Extension Dairy Specialist, University of Illinois - Illini DairyNET
