While goats and sheep often are milked by hand, milking machines designed to operate similarly to those routinely used for cattle are common, especially on larger farms.  This image illustrates a machine used for milking dairy goats at a small farm in central Mexico.  Two inflation units that fit around the teats are connected by a plastic tube to the milk receiving bucket, and another tube is attached to a vacuum pump. The green valve and blue valves that surround the milk lines are used to alternatively supply vacuum and readmit atmospheric pressure to the inflation units to remove milk from the teats.  Machine milking minimizes exposure of milk to ambient contaminants.

Dairy goat milking unit

Credit: Michel A. Wattiaux

Digital Credit: Michel A. Wattiaux

Publisher: None

Rights: Name must appear as a credit whenever the image is used -

Description: While goats and sheep often are milked by hand, milking machines designed to operate similarly to those routinely used for cattle are common, especially on larger farms. This image illustrates a machine used for milking dairy goats at a small farm in central Mexico. Two inflation units that fit around the teats are connected by a plastic tube to the milk receiving bucket, and another tube is attached to a vacuum pump. The green valve and blue valves that surround the milk lines are used to alternatively supply vacuum and readmit atmospheric pressure to the inflation units to remove milk from the teats. Machine milking minimizes exposure of milk to ambient contaminants.

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