Twenty multiparous lactating Friesian cows were randomly chosen from a herd of 50 cows milked with an automatic milking system. In addition, another 20 multiparous lactating Friesian cows were randomly chosen from a herd of 50 cows milked with a hand milking system. Each group of cows was housed in a suitable cow byre under the prevalent environmental conditions. Experimented cows of both groups were in their 3^rd lactation season. A commercial concentrate mixture for dairy cows was fed to the animals in the milking parlour according to their average milk yield. Barseem was offered to cows in their byres. Animals were allowed free access to the water troughs all the times except during milking where there was no water available in the collecting yards or milking parlour. Cows were milked separately twice a day at 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., either automatically or handy according to the group. Three parameters were selected to be investigated and measured during this experiment: -Behavioral indicators of stress -Health status                 -Milk cortisol. The obtained data indicated that, although auto milking is a very important matter in increasing the milk yield and its hygienic state, it seems to indeed affect the behavioral and physiological response as well as health status of cows during milking. Moreover, this study concluded that, human–animal interaction has known positive effects on cortisol level in the sense of stress reduction, where milking without a stockperson, and therefore without any handling procedures, could be more stressful. This finding recommended that, presence of stock persons or workers who managed the dairy cows in their byres during their auto milking is of great importance to minimize stress and so, decrease the level of cortisol in the collected milk.