Milking management is one of the most important and crucial activities in the milk production chain. Early attempts at milking cows involved a variety of methods. Around 380 B.C., Egyptians, along with traditional milking-by-hand, inserted wheat straws into cows' teats; suction was first used as a basis for the mechanized harvesting of milk in 1851, although the attempts were not altogether successful.
Around the 1890s, Alexander Shiels of Glasgow, Scotland, developed a pulsator that alternated suction levels to successfully massage the teat and extract milk. That device, along with the development of a double-chambered teat cup in 1892, led to milking machines replacing hand milking.
The milking machine is unique in the sense that it is one of the few machines which comes in contact with farm animals on a regular basis. Modern milking machines are capable of milking cows quickly and efficiently, without injuring the udder. The working principle of the milking machine is to imitate the suckling of the calf. The milking machine opens the streak canal through the use of a vacuum, allowing milk to flow out and prevents the congestion of blood and lymph in the teat.
Milking machines keep the milk enclosed and safe from external contamination. Therefore, interior 'milk contact' surfaces of the machine should be kept clean by washing it regularly. For proper functionality of the machine, it is important to ensure that these machines are correctly installed and maintained in excellent operating conditions.
Milkfed Punjab with a view to produce clean milk and to prevent disease like Mastitis, and to upgrade the milking technology, initiated a scheme for providing milking machines to Dairy Cooperative Societies and Progressive Dairy Farms. This process reduces the milking time and any other contamination and thus reducing the somatic cell count. With these machines even ladies are able to take care of a large herd as they don't have to depend on other to milk their cows.
Milkfed provides 50% cost of the milking machine of the choice of farmers. Till now approximately 1000 milking machines have been installed in its milkshed area and an amount of Rs. 2.00 Crores has been given to member producer as subsidy.