Looking forward to your help!

[supercow]

Impossible to answer without knowing more details about your specific situation.

It doesnt matter what me, or any Tom, Dick or Harry thinks, it is you that will have to milk in this unit for the next 20years, so design the unit that you want to milk in.

Im on planning a similar setup to you at the moment, albeit without your previously indicated budget. As an example Ive decided to go for internal feeding with a wide central passage as it suits my situation, namely very exposed site and lots of problems with birds from a neighbouring shoot. Now I know as soon as my grazing discussion group pals set foot inside the new building they will cry 'what a waste of space, could have had another double row of cubicles in here and a few ring feeders '. But it doesnt matter what they think, it is me that has to work in this setup day in day out so it might as well be the setup i want. Dairy farming is stressful enough without working in crap conditions day in day out.

The point im trying to make is that opinions are like ars#holes, everyones got one, so you will drive yourself mad listening to other peoples opinions.

Very well said!! If you listened to everyone's opinion you'd drive yourself mad!!

 

[Beef farmer]

Impossible to answer without knowing more details about your specific situation.

It doesnt matter what me, or any Tom, Dick or Harry thinks, it is you that will have to milk in this unit for the next 20years, so design the unit that you want to milk in.

Im on planning a similar setup to you at the moment, albeit without your previously indicated budget. As an example Ive decided to go for internal feeding with a wide central passage as it suits my situation, namely very exposed site and lots of problems with birds from a neighbouring shoot. Now I know as soon as my grazing discussion group pals set foot inside the new building they will cry 'what a waste of space, could have had another double row of cubicles in here and a few ring feeders '. But it doesnt matter what they think, it is me that has to work in this setup day in day out so it might as well be the setup i want. Dairy farming is stressful enough without working in crap conditions day in day out.

The point im trying to make is that opinions are like ars#holes, everyones got one, so you will drive yourself mad listening to other peoples opinions.

What do your grazing pals know?.......they square feeders are way better than rings

 

[O'Reilly]

I used to think external, but after that snow, anything that leaves a shed open I've gone off. Since money was no object iirc I'd put ventilated curtains on the outside, and a good wide passage up the middle.
If money really is no object, I'd even consider massive undercover self feed clamps at one end, so no passage required, with a good area at the other end to stack muck, since I believe loose yards were going to be used, and mucking out needs to be as easy as possible, to interfere as little as possible with cows routine.

 

[O'Reilly]

And a parlour with 20 stalls aside, even if you only put 10 units in to start with.

 

[Grassman247]

I used to think external, but after that snow, anything that leaves a shed open I've gone off. Since money was no object iirc I'd put ventilated curtains on the outside, and a good wide passage up the middle.
If money really is no object, I'd even consider massive undercover self feed clamps at one end, so no passage required, with a good area at the other end to stack muck, since I believe loose yards were going to be used, and mucking out needs to be as easy as possible, to interfere as little as possible with cows routine.

If money was no object why not feed on the outside but inside the shed if you get my meaning, can still have the curtain and if snow still blew in it would be at least 8 metres before it reached the cubicles, you’ll also not have to split the herd at all so the social order aspect would be less disruptive. That’s how I’m building my next shed anyways, can have roller doors on each end to help keep vermin and the like out

 

[Happy at it]

If money was really no object would a reasonable/sane person even bother to milk cows......

 

[WillM]

Definitely a central feed passage inside a cross vent barn.

 

[ollie989898]

Central passage, no better way. Build sheds in parallel so you can expand later if required. Biggest parlour you can afford. 20/40 minimum.

 

[coomoo]

Maybe I was a bit cutting yesterday. This is one of the best set ups I’ve ever seen and is exactly what I’d love. Designed by @Agri Design and I honestly think an on site visit to go over all your thoughts would massively benefit you.

 

[ollie989898]

Only way to have it. Only trouble with open roof over feed passage is starlings/vermin.

All under one roof, parlour down one side, and a collection and race system to catch the cows you might want to see individually after milking. Easy life.

 

[Milkcow365]

Maybe I was a bit cutting yesterday. This is one of the best set ups I’ve ever seen and is exactly what I’d love. Designed by @Agri Design and I honestly think an on site visit to go over all your thoughts would massively benefit you.View attachment 654408 View attachment 654410 View attachment 654412 View attachment 654414

I wouldn’t agree very bad use of shed space,not many cubicles in all the concrete very bad collecting yard for a grazing setup,

 

[coomoo]

I wouldn’t agree very bad use of shed space,not many cubicles in all the concrete very bad collecting yard for a grazing setup,

Yeah I really liked it being open and spacious . Collecting area too small aye that’s no going to be handy. See it’s under offer, sold now?

 

[Milkcow365]

Yeah I really liked it being open and spacious . Collecting area too small aye that’s no going to be handy. See it’s under offer, sold now?

Yeah sold Dutch man

 

[coomoo]

Yeah sold Dutch man

Not be grazing now then.

 

[Sid]

Only way to have it. Only trouble with open roof over feed passage is starlings/vermin.

All under one roof, parlour down one side, and a collection and race system to catch the cows you might want to see individually after milking. Easy life.

Could you not net the open roof?

 

[Dairyman Steve]

Maybe I was a bit cutting yesterday. This is one of the best set ups I’ve ever seen and is exactly what I’d love. Designed by @Agri Design and I honestly think an on site visit to go over all your thoughts would massively benefit you.View attachment 654408 View attachment 654410 View attachment 654412 View attachment 654414

Looking at this layout if you have the mirror image of the cubicles and feed fence on the other side of the milking parlour so the milking parlour is in the middle would that not be a good layout?

 

[O'Reilly]

Looking at this layout if you have the mirror image of the cubicles and feed fence on the other side of the milking parlour so the milking parlour is in the middle would that not be a good layout?

No. You want a clean side for the tanker etc

 

[Dairyman Steve]

No. You want a clean side for the tanker etc

Ok, I see your point. Have a look at Kevin Lawries dairy farm in Scotland on YouTube because his parlour is in the middle.

 

[early riser]

Looking at this layout if you have the mirror image of the cubicles and feed fence on the other side of the milking parlour so the milking parlour is in the middle would that not be a good layout?

Again it's back to what you want. If there will always be two of you in this setup i.e. Someone to fetch groups of cows whilst other milks, then having parlour in middle maybe isn't a bad layout. If, like me, however you are planning on running this as a one man unit then it would be an awful layout as you would be constantly jumping out of the pit to fetch groups of cows and would have no routine. If it were me I would want all the cows in one group, penned up together, through a big high output parlour, and not have to leave that pit until the last cow was milked, cos that's where you lose your time

 

[ollie989898]

Parlour one end, not in the middle, or cow flow will become more complicated than it needs to be. Keep it simple. Minimum of gate movements to move cows. Less chance of cock ups and cows are less stressed (and staff!)

Man gets in parlour and does not get out until wash down is finished is the ideal to aim for. Autodrafting gate or locking head yokes are a godsend.