Postmilking

Postmilking refers to the period immediately following the milking of dairy animals, most commonly cows, during which hygiene and udder health measures are applied to reduce the risk of intramammary infection and contamination of the milk. The central goal is to protect the teat ends when the teat canal remains vulnerable after milking and to lower bacterial load on the teats before the next milking.

Common practices in postmilking management include applying a postmilking teat dip or spray, typically iodine-based or chlorhexidine-based antiseptics, to kill bacteria on the teat surface. Teat dipping is often followed by air-drying of the teats; some systems also employ towels or cloths to aid drying, provided they are clean and used only once before replacement. In addition, producers may perform teat cleaning or inspection to identify cracking, lesions, or signs of mastitis.

The postmilking interval—the time between the end of milking and the start of the next milking—varies with milking frequency. Postmilking treatments are part of broader udder health management programs that include milking hygiene, cow comfort, and regular monitoring of somatic cell counts and mastitis risk.