24x24 rapid exit

[Bside]

Hi, I’m just wondering what kind of outputs people are getting from 12 double up parlours? Looking at a pretty high spec machine , meters, feed to yield etc and considering adding rapid exit. Gea and delaval are probably my top Two choices at the moment.
Any advice appreciated!

 

[FonterraFarmer]

Hi, I’m just wondering what kind of outputs people are getting from 12 double up parlours? Looking at a pretty high spec machine , meters, feed to yield etc and considering adding rapid exit. Gea and delaval are probably my top Two choices at the moment.
Any advice appreciated!

Would it not be easier to put in a rotary?

 

[Tarw Coch]

For how many cows, now and possibly in the future?
Any constraints on how much room you have? Presumably not if you can consider rapid exit.
My advice would be don’t do it, go longer and swing over , i went from a 14:14 to a 16:32 and doubled throughput.

 

[Bside]

Would it not be easier to put in a rotary?

Won’t ever be milking enough to justify a rotary

 

[Bside]

For how many cows, now and possibly in the future?
Any constraints on how much room you have? Presumably not if you can consider rapid exit.
My advice would be don’t do it, go longer and swing over , i went from a 14:14 to a 16:32 and doubled throughput.

Milking 140 at the moment through an old 8 unit with jars, Holstein type cow.
160 will be the maximum I would ever plan on milking.
Milked in a couple of double ups and liked the milker comfort compared to pacing up and down a long pit. Originally planned sequential bailing but rapid exit not adding much to total spend.

 

[Tarw Coch]

Milking 140 at the moment through an old 8 unit with jars, Holstein type cow.
160 will be the maximum I would ever plan on milking.
Milked in a couple of double ups and liked the milker comfort compared to pacing up and down a long pit. Originally planned sequential bailing but rapid exit not adding much to total spend.

Similar numbers here, as said used to have a double, up now a swing over and there’s absolutely no way I’d go back but ultimately it’s your money and your choice .
I don’t have a problem with walking the length of the pit allthough at 7’6” wide it’s wider than most so plenty of room, in fairness I’ve seen plenty of swing overs I wouldn’t want to milk in.

 

[Jdunn55]

If you're looking for milking comfort and speed go longer, don't double up and have some bells and whistles? I personally hate doubled up parlours as I think they take longer to milk in and there's always a cluster in the way, plus if you're putting a side odd cows on its easy for you not to dip a cow for a minute or two when you should be aiming for them to be dipped in 30 seconds. Go for adf clusters and you'll fly through milking. Surely there's no greater milking comfort than getting it done quickly? Imo not sure that rapid exit does a lot as I think instead of waiting for cows you're waiting for a machine, you can hurry cows up, I've never found getting cross at a machine speeds it up... go for an auto wash as well in case you already weren't...

 

[frederick]

Cant see any reason to add rapid exit on a 24 24. It's not big enough for it too make much difference especially with only 160 cows going through.
I think it will actually slow your milking time because the extra area to keep clean will take an additional 10 mins to wash down and use extra water.

Are you going to feed in parlour?

 

[Davy]

Be better with a 20:40 swing over if you've the length for it. Bet you'd be at least 20 minutes faster a milking than the 24:24 with 160 cows.

 

[Real cool]

Very sensible 20/40 with feeding one man would do 160 no sweat

 

[More to life]

24:24 is a 1.5 person parlour can you see the issue.

 

[frederick]

24:24 is a 1.5 person parlour can you see the issue.

24:24 is a perfect one man parlour.
I've put 3 in on 3 separate farms and always found them to only require 1 man. But they have acrs and auto I'd or flat rate feeding.

 

[Real cool]

I bet you’d get better through put with a 16/32

 

[frederick]

Well we will milk 132 -144 an hour this afternoon and we milked 120 an hour this morning. Held up by waiting for cows.
I can guarantee your not going to do 8 minute sides in a 16:32.

But the important thing is to have a parlour you like. If I built a herringbone again it would be a 24:24 or maybe 26 with auto I'd etc. However the next new parlour will have to be a rotary which is why I'm spending 15k to make the current one good for another 20 years and slightly reducing cow numbers to 280.

 

[Real cool]

I agree with you about the rotary but they frighten a lot of people as long as you research the right one to suit your needs,you will always get different opinions ,but speaking as a dairy engineer look at what your trying to achieve

 

[More to life]

24:24 is a perfect one man parlour.
I've put 3 in on 3 separate farms and always found them to only require 1 man. But they have acrs and auto I'd or flat rate feeding.

If you can wipe and fore milk at that speed then fair play

 

[vantage]

If you can wipe and fore milk at that speed then fair play

I could when I was 20 years younger, oh hang on I just reread it with my glasses and it didn’t read what I thought!!!!!!!!

 

[frederick]

If you can wipe and fore milk at that speed then fair play

Nope can't manage that stuck at about 108 an hour then. But cows are now grazing. Obviously foremilk for red tractor but wiping is not done.

 

[Cowman31]

Id forget the rest and go for a 20/40 Waikato...never breakdown and they are a joy to milk in...

 

[Will Blackburn]

Well we will milk 132 -144 an hour this afternoon and we milked 120 an hour this morning. Held up by waiting for cows.
I can guarantee your not going to do 8 minute sides in a 16:32.

But the important thing is to have a parlour you like. If I built a herringbone again it would be a 24:24 or maybe 26 with auto I'd etc. However the next new parlour will have to be a rotary which is why I'm spending 15k to make the current one good for another 20 years and slightly reducing cow numbers to 280.

We do 8 minute sides in a 20:40 consistently, morning and night.