21/08/2021
AND CONS OF MILKING A COW 3 TIMES A DAY
1: Regardless of milk yield for 2X milking, cows milked three times a day will increase daily milk production by 30-35%
2: It improves udder health andx sometimes even reproductive performance.
3: 3X milking offers an opportunity for increased milk revenue via increased yields for milk
4: Three times a day milking also offers an opportunity to more effectively and efficiently utilize milking facilities if extra capacity is available.
1: Milking three times a day requires adequate milking facility capacity and may not be feasible if factors are present that may limit the ability of cows to respond with higher milk production (e.g. poor feed quality, limited feed bunk
space,environmental stress, excessive wait time in holding pens, long travel distances to and from milking facility, etc.).
2: Milking 3X requires an adequate supply of well-trained and motivated labor willing to milk cows at often undesirable times of the day.
3: Milking 3X requires an increased level of management to insure cows are fed properly and that any less-than-favorable health issues (e.g. lameness, mastitis) are not exacerbated by the increased intensity of production.
4: Cows milked 3X will require more intensive management to insure adequate feed intake and maintenance of proper body condition.
5: Milking 3X requires a commitment of at least six months and a monitoring program to determine if it is successful.
