New dairy layout

Mchalehs

Member
Location
Wales
Good evening,

I'm starting to get everything together now to make a start at converting our farm to an 80 cow autumn block system. Bought a second hand parlour/tank etc.

I'm using two existing buildings as the cubicles, one is an old cubicle shed just need fitting new cubicles as the old ones were removed some 15 years ago.

The parlour itself will be on its own, right in the middle of the farm, some 150 meters slight uphill walk from the cubicles and feeding yard. It will be quite open to the elements, no shelter for it at the minute.

The pickle i have is which way to lay it out, do i set the collecting yard so they have a slight incline into the parlour? which way should i face it regarding wind etc? Theres a few more questions i'll remember again! Where the parlour is being located is a brown field site.

Thanks for any recommendations and advice
 

Mchalehs

Member
Location
Wales
Why is it so far from the cubicles? Do you plan building a new cubicle house in the future closer to the parlour?

Hopefully yes, on one side of the existing cubicles is our drive and my parents other business venture and the other side is the house, so don't really want to be getting in the way of either
 
Definetly go with the collecting yard sloping up to the parlour, we have about an 18 inch rise over 4 bays and the cows draw up to the parlour very well, although I'd want the parlour and cubicles much closer together.
 

Agrispeed

Member
Location
Cornwall
Good evening,

I'm starting to get everything together now to make a start at converting our farm to an 80 cow autumn block system. Bought a second hand parlour/tank etc.

I'm using two existing buildings as the cubicles, one is an old cubicle shed just need fitting new cubicles as the old ones were removed some 15 years ago.

The parlour itself will be on its own, right in the middle of the farm, some 150 meters slight uphill walk from the cubicles and feeding yard. It will be quite open to the elements, no shelter for it at the minute.

The pickle i have is which way to lay it out, do i set the collecting yard so they have a slight incline into the parlour? which way should i face it regarding wind etc? Theres a few more questions i'll remember again! Where the parlour is being located is a brown field site.

Thanks for any recommendations and advice

I'm setting up at 80 cow spring block this year, converting a beef unit to dairy

Cows walk best uphill so you want the collecting yard and parlour to all run uphill. 1.5 - 2.5 degree slope. If you have a dirty water tank in the collecting yard, it has the advantage of being able to run the drains and collecting yard into it without having to pump water.

I'm making use of the area I have for the collecting yard, but I would always go for a straight run into the parlour, and a 90 degree out of the parlour if necessary. If you do, make sure there is enough space at the front of the parlour for at least one row of cows.

I wouldn't be hugely worried about it being exposed, as long as there isn't a huge risk of it freezing. It soon warms up when you have some cows in!
 

Mchalehs

Member
Location
Wales
IMG_0926.JPG
Thanks for your feedback.

This is how it might be, or the parlour and collecting yard the other way round?
 

jimmer

Member
Location
East Devon
i know it is easy enough for me to say , but if you have to buffer your cows it is going to be a cuss if your only feeding is at the cubicle sight
 

jimmer

Member
Location
East Devon
if you were to draw a straight line beween the collecting yard in your picture and the cubicles in your picture what is in the way , field, concrete, stone, garden etc ?
 

Agrispeed

Member
Location
Cornwall
Is your parlour in the specific place for a reason?

I can see it being there if it is in the middle of the block, but it could be awkward if not and autumn block. The track between them is going to get a lot of abuse.
 

coomoo

Member
Whats on the south side of your feeding area? You want the parlour as close to the cubicals and feeding area as possible.

What's on top side of your feeding yard? Use it for collecting area aswell? The way it is now I think you'd struggle, even for a short period.

Just saw @Fergieman asked same

Could you use your feeding yard for a collection yards with parlour on the end then make a new feeding yard somewhere else?

We're all at it......... :LOL::D:ROFLMAO:
 

Mchalehs

Member
Location
Wales
I was just thinking of getting the parlour in the middle of the farm, maybe not then!

Could go west of the feeding yard or south, going south means bringing it up level or there would be a fall towards the parlour in the collecting yard. Not a big problem.
 
The best dairy farmer I know has his cubicles by the road and the parlour 15o m away closer to the middle of the grazing.
I would not worry too much about walking cows to the parlour but you need to think carefully about tanker access etc.
The other theory would be that you should drive the cows away from the cubicles and let them walk straight back so they are not passing the cows waiting in the collecting yard.
Think hard about how many cows you would like to be milking in ten years, then double the numbers and think about how you would like your sheds then.
 

Agrispeed

Member
Location
Cornwall
I was just thinking of getting the parlour in the middle of the farm, maybe not then!

If you're planning on grazing for the majority of the season, and you can surface the track from the cubicles well, I wouldn't be afraid of doing it.

However, you will still need your handling facilities and whatnot near the parlour, you don't want to have to drive cows to the cubicles in summer to segregate them etc.

150m isn't a great distance tbh.
 

tanker

Member
Someone like @Agri Design would be a wise investment,you can sometimes get funding to help cover the cost..You need to get it as right as you possibly can the first time,there are plenty that end up spending twice and still not getting it right..
 

Mchalehs

Member
Location
Wales
This is a picture off google maps a few years ago (is a bit tidier today!) Tanker access isn't a problem as we have a carpark already coming to where i want to put the parlour. Possible to concrete the track from the parlour to the cubicles if needs be. All handling facilities will be at the parlour
 

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