multi power
Member
- Location
- pembrokeshire
or a byre where i grew up, cows tied by the neck n milked into a pipeline, or even buckets
abreast parlours
- Thread starter vulcan
- Start date
or a byre where i grew up, cows tied by the neck n milked into a pipeline, or even buckets
- Location
- S. Staffs
Visit to Arizona back in 1996, went to a 'family' dairy unit, 1500 cows in milk, in a double sided shippon, milked each side, changed batch on the other back and to about 20 at a time, God only knows how long it took to get them all milked but it must have been unbelievably hard work, I thought they were crazy
BELOWAVERAGE
Member
I know a chap only started milking last year has a 12 standing tie up shippon, I think he milks about 45.
tanker
Member
Still evidence of 4 milking set ups here,my grandad put in a vacuum line and buckets about as soon as they became available,the old stone barns(upper cowshed&middle cowshed,there was the lower cowshed attached but progress saw that knocked down) have the some of the pipework and steps still in evidence..The vacuum line was about an inch diameter galvanised steel pipe which is buried under the farmyard for about 100ft,can't have been much vacuum by the time it got to the buckets...The 'cowshed' went up then,1953,Coronation year I understand.A shippon or byre as alluded to already,two rows of 12 back to back with 4 units and a pipeline taking the milk back to the dairy where a new fangled bulk tank turned up one day in the late sixties.The cows were living in a cubicle shed next door pretty soon & self feeding silage as well,this was when I started to help dad out as a young kid,milking the occasional quiet cow and putting the cake in front of them.All of a sudden,4 units and upwards of 50 cows started to become an ordeal so the cowshed was partitioned down the middle,we milked in the 12 stalls left and put a magnificent invention called a herringbone parlour in the other(1979),amazing scenes as we milked 10 cows at a time and carried no feed at all,augers&feeders doing the whole thing for us.Life was easy for quite a few years until gradually the parlour started to tire and cow numbers above 100 it became an ordeal to milk there as well.So,time to bite the bullet and renew again,another shed built on the yard and a new bigger herringbone,32/32 is alongside the other three set ups and has been going for 2 yrs..
Cowboy Crowe
New Member
Still helping my Dad milk in shippons, one 12 either side and one 5 either side,6 plug-in cluster units that we move between sides and shippons, plug into a line and straight into the bulk tank. In contrast to what Happy Hillbilly was saying the shippons are warm as toast in winter and like a sauna in summer. Hard to keep clean though and moving the clusters makes extra work, and without collection jars you can't keep track of individual cow's yields accurately.
Joined the forum because I want to price up abreast parlours as I've milked through one elsewhere and thought it was quite neat. I've milked through herringbones but can't quite like them, being used to being able to get my shoulder in to stop heifers kicking!
Keen to try the old man and his landlords with the idea of a small new building to house a 4- or 6- abreast parlour with a dairy for pasteurising/ making yoghurt etc for a local round- put some extra value on the milk from a small herd. Could still use the shippons as housing. Batshit crazy? !
I find trying to price stuff on the internet a bit bewildering so wondering what people reckon the cost might be of putting up a building of say 8m x 12m over a 4-abreast- seems like a milking bail could be quite a good way of putting in the parlour.
Joined the forum because I want to price up abreast parlours as I've milked through one elsewhere and thought it was quite neat. I've milked through herringbones but can't quite like them, being used to being able to get my shoulder in to stop heifers kicking!
Keen to try the old man and his landlords with the idea of a small new building to house a 4- or 6- abreast parlour with a dairy for pasteurising/ making yoghurt etc for a local round- put some extra value on the milk from a small herd. Could still use the shippons as housing. Batshit crazy? !
I find trying to price stuff on the internet a bit bewildering so wondering what people reckon the cost might be of putting up a building of say 8m x 12m over a 4-abreast- seems like a milking bail could be quite a good way of putting in the parlour.
Where's your location ? Have a 7 , abreast. Bale that's in a building including it's own cake loft available .
Cowboy Crowe
New Member
Cumbria. You selling bale and building? Is it a loft with auto feeders then? How much is it worth?
To clarify I am just at the stage of trying to price things up so I can show my father a convincing plan of how this could make sense and money. I'd imagine a lot of you have a dad who struggled to let go of the reins- I need to show him something pretty waterproof before he'll entertain it- which is sensible enough.
To clarify I am just at the stage of trying to price things up so I can show my father a convincing plan of how this could make sense and money. I'd imagine a lot of you have a dad who struggled to let go of the reins- I need to show him something pretty waterproof before he'll entertain it- which is sensible enough.
In Devon I'm afraid so couldn't be much further away .It was a bale that we put into an existing building and adapted ourselves .Cast the steps .The cake is dispenser is a scoop by hand so nothing to go wrong .Used it for more than 10 years but now obsolete.
borderterribles
Member
- Location
- South Shropshire
A pity you weren't on here 18 months ago. I had to scrap a lovely little 6/6 Miele abreast parlour with auto wash and electronic feeders, due to my then landlords re-letting the farm, but specifically excluding incoming tenants from milking
I'm sure some on here will have seen the parlour as it used to do the rounds of the big agricultural shows circulating coloured water, as an advert for the manufacturer.
I'm sure some on here will have seen the parlour as it used to do the rounds of the big agricultural shows circulating coloured water, as an advert for the manufacturer.
Married 2 The Mob
Member
- Location
- E. Midlands
Would the 12 aside shippon building accommodate an abreast?
Might make it a cheaper install and be more appealing to your dad?
I did this, milked in half the shippon, while installation of the abreast took place in the other half.
If I was going to the trouble and expense of a new building, I think a herringbone would need to be very seriously considered.
( Speaking from experience, and as someone who likes milking in an abreast)
Might make it a cheaper install and be more appealing to your dad?
I did this, milked in half the shippon, while installation of the abreast took place in the other half.
If I was going to the trouble and expense of a new building, I think a herringbone would need to be very seriously considered.
( Speaking from experience, and as someone who likes milking in an abreast)
FonterraFarmer
Member
- Location
- Waikato, New Zealand
Batshit crazy
Just build a 6,8, or 12 aside herringbone and be done with it. Don't forget the Reid Slide Pulsators either
Exfarmer
Member
- Location
- Bury St Edmunds
Not having milked for 30 years, I would still advise going for a herringbone, you talk about kicking heifers but get a fresh heifer in between 2 old cows means 9 /10 don't kick in the first place.
I would be sure you will get a second hand parlour much cheaper in herringbone than abreast.
you certainly should be able to house on in an old ship and a new building for housing must be cheaper than a dairy building
good luck whatever you do!
I would be sure you will get a second hand parlour much cheaper in herringbone than abreast.
you certainly should be able to house on in an old ship and a new building for housing must be cheaper than a dairy building
good luck whatever you do!
ElisT6030
New Member
- Location
- Caernarfon
@Monty @Princess Pooper We are taking out out 6 abreast parlour as just bought a robot. so all parts/ glass jars available otherwise will be going to scrap. Pm me if you have an intrest in something! Thanks
Monty
Member
- Location
- Nantwich, Cheshire
Thanks for the offer but we're all good for spare bits to keep the parlour going cheers and PP now has a herringbone
Try here
https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/peter-allen-abreast-parlour.222712/#post-5011336
Try here
https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/peter-allen-abreast-parlour.222712/#post-5011336
What kind of glass jars are they?
Princess Pooper
Member
- Location
- East Mids
Thanks for thinking of us but we moved out of our abreast 3 years ago (almost to the day!) and are giving bits away ourselves!
ElisT6030
New Member
- Location
- Caernarfon
ElisT6030
New Member
- Location
- Caernarfon
ah ok didnt notice it was an old post!