The Complete Guide to Milking Cows: Techniques, Timing, and Best Practices

Milk that comes from dairy cattle is sometimes called, "nature's most nearly perfect food." Out of all calcium-containing foods that are consumed in the United States, 72 percent of the calcium comes from milk products [source: USDA]. Most cows are milked twice a day, although there are some dairy farms that milk their cows three times a day. There are still some farms that milk by hand, though most cows are now milked by an electronic pipeline system [source: EPA].

Cows provide milk for about three to four years, and the average cow can produce 2,000 gallons (7,570 liters) of milk a year. The best cows can provide over 25 gallons (94 liters) of milk each day, which is the equivalent of 400 glasses of milk [source: USDA]. We will now tell you how to milk a cow by hand.