Milk and Butterfat Yields of Jersey Cows as Affected by Frequency of Milking

Summary 1. Milking Jersey cows three times daily results in an average increase of approximately 19 per cent in butterfat and 21 per cent in milk yield. 2. The use of a single factor for converting all records made with twice a day milking to a three milking per day basis is not recommended. 3. The increase in yield due to milking three times daily, varies greatly with the producing ability of the animal on twice a day milking and is inversely proportional to such ability. High producing cows show a smaller increase in yield when milked three times daily than do cows with a lower inherited producing ability. 4. Milking heifers three times daily on test results in a slightly greater development than when the initial records are made on twice a day milking. 5. Mass testing of cows in the Herd Improvement Registry on twice a day milking will definitely differentiate between average cows and the high producing cows of the breed.