Milking Parlour’s Upgrade Dilemma

[Barmyfarmer]

Full routine in a 10/20 with 1 man, cows averaging 30 litres,
Wet wipe 1 per cow
Every quarter stripped,
Unit on and teat sprayed after with poor cow flow can still do 70-75 an hour and 80 at a push if slow cows fall into the right place So I also think there is room to maximize your current setup.
I am planning on putting in a 20/40 and would hope to do 120 per hour

 

[O'Reilly]

If all concentrate is fed in parlour, I'll bet that slows things down a lot. How is silage fed outside? Could some of the concs be fed either through a wagon, or out of parlour feeders? What is the cubicle bedding system, and could that be improved for cleanliness?

 

[Davy]

Big rapid exit with feeders? They won't slow down coming in as they can't see any leftover meal and quick to get out. Know of a farm miking similar numbers in a 70:70. Hellish output when there's 3 in the pit

 

[Half Full]

600k?! What brands are you looking at?!

Stick a Waikato in, put in the basic amount of tech you can get away with to start with and then add the more complex stuff as you can afford it out of cashflow.

We are milking 650 cows in 2.5 hours when there peaking at 32 litres, only one man putting on and one taking off but we could swap the cups off man to cups on with some tech and do full teat prep no problem.
[/QUOTE

If all concentrate is fed in parlour, I'll bet that slows things down a lot. How is silage fed outside? Could some of the concs be fed either through a wagon, or out of parlour feeders? What is the cubicle bedding system, and could that be improved for cleanliness?

No wagon here, we feed 2kg of protein rough mixed in with the maize and grass silages, cows eat all the cake before they’ve finished milking so it is not a problem from that side but probably doesn’t help them exit fast, I have tried feeding a higher base diet and less in the parlour but feed costs went up and yield was static. Done outer parlour feeders before , trying to simplify the system not make it more complicated. Cows are clean but not spotless, there on sand beds so could be a lot worse.

 

[Real cool]

I’m sorry but cows per hour quoted on 50 point rotary are absurd to me watch Simone Thomas video on inter net that is how a parlour should word and happy cows

 

[stablegirl]

Cant find any video, care to elaborate?

 

[Headless chicken]

Cant find any video, care to elaborate?

Guessing this

 

[vantage]

Guessing this

One of my milkers milks there, then comes here as well! I don’t know if it’s the money or he’s bored!

 

[suffolksmallholder]

My fathers dairy was 'the' most modern money could buy in 1960. 5/5 with a pit, water cooled chiller baed on a total loss mains water system. First the milk went into churns then a super 'new' bulk tank was installed with its own chiller! An International B250 for mucking out and a IH 414 for other work. An orange Howard rotary muck-spreader for the bedding and a slurry lagoon cut into the chalk. Contractors did the slurry spreading.
All for a 120 head herd of Friesians.
By 1975 it was unprofitable so he gave up and the farm was sold.

Fascinating reading this series of expansion dilemmas and I'd love to look round a modern dairy!

SS

 

[Real cool]

Yea that’s the one I know Simone Thomas parlour it works well and has the non expensive service monitors on it a bloody good investment

 

[Real cool]

Looking to milk 500 plus cows it’s got to be a rotary surely there is a place down here milking 1900 three time’s a day with a shift pattern of 6 hours each Millong with good preparation that equates to over 300 cows per hour and high yields not everyone wants to do that but it does show what’s achievable

 

[multi power]

Why spend any money. Stop using a few units at the back. 1 man full routine should still manage 90 plus cows an hour then split shift milking one person does first 3 hours second does the next three.
You still maximise output per man and avoid spending 250k

You must be bloody fit if you can manage 90 an hour on a full routine, and keep it up for 3 hours

 

[Real cool]

Is this about doing the job most ecomically or about not spending any money do a long term plan and forge ahead I could never see the argument for one unit one stall the most efficient is swing over one unit two stall but even that over 500 cows becomes a slog

 

[Real cool]

G e a love one init one stall dealers sell more kit

 

[Blue.]

Guessing this

Nice looking cows,what yield would they be doing?

 

[Real cool]

These are dairy shorthorns and milk from grass so only doing about 6500 I think but 70 point. and they are very contented on the deck with twin ration feeding

 

[Real cool]

These are dairy shorthorns and milk from grass so only doing about 6500 I think but 70 point. and they are very contented on the deck with twin ration feeding

 

[In the pit]

If someone offered me a dairy master parlour for free I wouldn't take it

 

[Real cool]

And why is that then

 

[multi power]

Nice looking cows,what yield would they be doing?

They are bloody crazy cows, I used to milk a bunch that came from there