In parlour cake troughs - ideas?

[crashbox]

Morning TFF,

We feed cake in herringbone parlour, but our troughs are a nightmare to clean! 14/28 so that's a lot of individual mangers to wash down.

Thinking of replacing for one long easy-clean trough each side.

Anyone got any good examples/ideas?

TIA

 

[organicguy]

We have one long concrete fibre glassed manger, easy to clean!!!
Not so good for individual feeding but overall numbers still work.

 

[jimmer]

Housed or grazing herd?

 

[crashbox]

@organicguy, is that a concrete trough with fibreglass sheets stuck to it?

@jimmer, bit of both: housed winter, out to grass summer.
Holsteins c. 8-9000 litres on silage + cake (not TMR).

 

[Cows 'n grass]

We have these. Good for flat rate feeding but there would be some sharing if you were feeding individually.

 

[Fedupfarmer]

Your down pipes look in good order,my cows eat them as fast as the cake.

 

[Manney]

This is ours. It just sections of valley gutter dropped in front of the breat rail. Works a treat and was very cheap. Collinsons flat rate feeders.

 

[Grazer]

Spotless!

FA time?

 

[Farmer Keith]

Is there an underlying reason why they're getting dirty? Was in a mates parlour where they were standing in them and it turns out they were only 18" off the ground where as mine sit at 24".

 

[Hugh 2]

Morning TFF,

We feed cake in herringbone parlour, but our troughs are a nightmare to clean! 14/28 so that's a lot of individual mangers to wash down.

Thinking of replacing for one long easy-clean trough each side.

Anyone got any good examples/ideas?

TIA

Practically in the exact opposite position here.

We have View attachment IMG_0014.HEICView attachment IMG_0014.HEIC14/28 straight troughs here easy to clean
But not enough room for cows (tight to pack in)
and also cows tend to migrate back and forth chasing the last few nuts)

so looking at putting in individual mangers View attachment IMG_0014.HEICView attachment IMG_0014.HEIC

To Answer your question
If I had enough space I would put in some sort of dividers over mine for cow control (I have straight rump rail)

View attachment IMG_0014.HEICView attachment IMG_0014.HEICView attachment IMG_0014.HEICView attachment IMG_0014.HEIC

 

[Hugh 2]

Practically in the exact opposite position here.

We have 14/28 straight troughs here easy to clean
But not enough room for cows (tight to pack in)
and also cows tend to migrate back and forth chasing the last few nuts)

so looking at putting in individual manger
To Answer your question
If I had enough space I would put in some sort of dividers over mine for cow control (I have straight rump rail)

 

[organicguy]

You have the same situation as we do, straight manger and rump rail. I have a brisket rail laid in the yard waiting to be installed but the urgency to do it has gone.
I would be loathe to remove you nice easy to clean trough and personally I would bodge something with a scaffold pole and some bent pipe!

 

[Grazer]

I want to keep a straight breast and rump rail, but have individual mangers. Anyone got that?

 

[Hugh 2]

I once heard the term that you had to have a zig zag somewhere - either in front

You have the same situation as we do, straight manger and rump rail. I have a brisket rail laid in the yard waiting to be installed but the urgency to do it has gone.
I would be loathe to remove you nice easy to clean trough and personally I would bodge something with a scaffold pole and some bent pipe!

or behind
Maybe I should be looking at Zig Zag rump rail (might be able to gain a few inches)- the lower bar on mine is getting weak and has had a few repairs -

 

[Cows 'n grass]

I want to keep a straight breast and rump rail, but have individual mangers. Anyone got that?

Why do you want to keep the straight rump rail?

 

[Jdunn55]

Why do you want to keep the straight rump rail?

Personally I wouldnt want any other. Having milked with both I hate anything to do with cranked rump rails. Cows hate them and anything slightly bigger than the rest wont fit properly without a bit of persuasion from either me or another cow

 

[Grazer]

I've all shapes and sizes in my herd. I'm without feeders at the moment, but straight front and back rail, and like being able to tap them up an pop an extra couple of cows in a side when heifers are calving in. Keeps everyone more calm.

Tbf, never milked with a cranked rump rail, so never really considered it. I have individual mangers on another unit and at drying off you can get a kick cos they've too much room, but you can't squeeze them up as their shoulders catch on the front corner of the manger.

I now want individual feeding but want to be able to squeeze them up for a few weeks at calving, or drying off, as required. Ok a few wont get fed what they should for a short time, but the feeders will than make up for it the rest of they year.