Studies on pre‐milking preparation 2. The effect of delay between pre‐milking stimulus and milking

The effect of a 3 min delay between pre‐milking stimulation and the application of the teat cups, on milk and milkfat production, was measured using 19 sets of identical twin cows over a complete lactation. After washing and hand stimulation of the udder for a period of 30 s, one member of each twin set was milked immediately, whereas the other was allowed to wait for 3 min before the teat cups were attached. There was no difference in average production of milk and milkfat, although there were considerable differences within twin sets.