Milking parlour and loose housing

Jdunn55

Member
Due to various backgrounds issues that most on here don't know about (and I'm not going to post what the issues are on a public forum but they don't seem to be getting resolved), I'm not sure how long I can put up with staying where I am - and no it's not because the cows have escaped again!

Has anyone had a price recently for a milking parlour? Looking for something with acrs, milk meters and cluster flush, possibly and automatic wash system too depending on price. How many units? Currently hovering around 100 cows at peak but hopefully going up to 150 and then we will see where we are. Was thinking 15?
Obviously haven't got an endless supply of cash and the parlour is going to cost enough, so instead of a massive bill for a lagoon (which might end up not being legal anyway because who knows what on earth is going on with slurry regs!), cubicle House etc was thinking of just putting up a shed ready for cubicles but loose housing in it? How much space per cow and how much straw would they use? Would 7m² be about right and 10kg a day of straw?
Thanks
 

Jdunn55

Member
Would 2 secondhand robots be cheaper than a parlour. Less building space/cost needed. Possibly easier to remove/sell on. ??
Possibly, hadn't really thought of going down that route, not a massive fan of robots personally but as a temporary measure I might be able to put up with them! I would want to graze though, I believe @Sid is the master of loose housing and grazing with robots?
 

Sid

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
South Molton
Possibly, hadn't really thought of going down that route, not a massive fan of robots personally but as a temporary measure I might be able to put up with them! I would want to graze though, I believe @Sid is the master of loose housing and grazing with robots?

It works for us.

Your not far out on space and straw.

More room =less straw but less nutrients bought in 😉


Plenty of second hand robots about just make sure they are well checked over by engineer.

Grazing is an art, we use ABC grazing and rarely fetch a cow , summer or winter.
Others make a job out of fetching cows every day.

Use the software to make it work.

Welcome to come and have a look.
 

Jdunn55

Member
It works for us.

Your not far out on space and straw.

More room =less straw but less nutrients bought in 😉


Plenty of second hand robots about just make sure they are well checked over by engineer.

Grazing is an art, we use ABC grazing and rarely fetch a cow , summer or winter.
Others make a job out of fetching cows every day.

Use the software to make it work.

Welcome to come and have a look.
How much do you allow for straw and space? You're right about nutrients but dont take this the wrong way, they're the least of my worries atm! I would probably plant something like fodder beet so I can graze them through the winter to try and reduce the amount of straw used (because they would be inside for less time).

Regarding a look round, that could well be useful, I'll send you a message at some point, thankyou!
 

Sid

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
South Molton
How much do you allow for straw and space? You're right about nutrients but dont take this the wrong way, they're the least of my worries atm! I would probably plant something like fodder beet so I can graze them through the winter to try and reduce the amount of straw used (because they would be inside for less time).

Regarding a look round, that could well be useful, I'll send you a message at some point, thankyou!
1m²per 100kg live weight

Straw usage is around 6kg /head per day

Using two hesstons (was 1 krone HD early on before heifers were housed) eod but heifers and dry cows are also bedded within that as well.
Some days , like yesterday is less, damp weather they need more.
Bringing wet muddy cows in from beet could increase straw use.
I get the nutrients part but they are there and with fert costs are not to be forgotten. We mix slurry and fym in the dung store , clean out every 4 weeks and start again. So it's turned into dung store and again when tipped, once in field and then spread. No lumps and even spread. Have N P and K fertiliser
 
Possibly, hadn't really thought of going down that route, not a massive fan of robots personally but as a temporary measure I might be able to put up with them! I would want to graze though, I believe @Sid is the master of loose housing and grazing with robots?
I put a second hand parlour in. Auto Id, milk meters acrs, nothing too complicated parlour was £22k for a 28:28 but I only put in a 22:22 so have lots of spares. It cost at least another £30k to fit and sort out the dairy plus another £15 for a tank and bits of electric work. We re galvanised the steel work and all new rubbers etc. since putting it in I have replaced the vacuum pumps with a variable speed system which we should have done from the start. Cost about £6k as we had new pumps and the control system for single phase. If I was to do it again wud probably put 2 second hand robots in. We fitted it into an existing shed so didn’t have much build costs. Dairy parlour and pit all made with panels.
 

pellow

Member
Location
Newquay
I put a second hand parlour in. Auto Id, milk meters acrs, nothing too complicated parlour was £22k for a 28:28 but I only put in a 22:22 so have lots of spares. It cost at least another £30k to fit and sort out the dairy plus another £15 for a tank and bits of electric work. We re galvanised the steel work and all new rubbers etc. since putting it in I have replaced the vacuum pumps with a variable speed system which we should have done from the start. Cost about £6k as we had new pumps and the control system for single phase. If I was to do it again wud probably put 2 second hand robots in. We fitted it into an existing shed so didn’t have much build costs. Dairy parlour and pit all made with panels.
did you have to remove the old galvanise to re galvanise it?
 

frederick

Member
Location
south west
Due to various backgrounds issues that most on here don't know about (and I'm not going to post what the issues are on a public forum but they don't seem to be getting resolved), I'm not sure how long I can put up with staying where I am - and no it's not because the cows have escaped again!

Has anyone had a price recently for a milking parlour? Looking for something with acrs, milk meters and cluster flush, possibly and automatic wash system too depending on price. How many units? Currently hovering around 100 cows at peak but hopefully going up to 150 and then we will see where we are. Was thinking 15?
Obviously haven't got an endless supply of cash and the parlour is going to cost enough, so instead of a massive bill for a lagoon (which might end up not being legal anyway because who knows what on earth is going on with slurry regs!), cubicle House etc was thinking of just putting up a shed ready for cubicles but loose housing in it? How much space per cow and how much straw would they use? Would 7m² be about right and 10kg a day of straw?
Thanks
STOP.

I seriously admire what you are doing and your plans. But your probably getting ahead of yourself.

I know you want to return home and milk there in the medium term. But everything you talk about above will take at least 12 months in planning and another 12 to build. At the earliest you will be home in 2 years and you will have broken yourself in the process.

Get where you are sorted because whatever happens your still going to be there for a while.

The only other way you could do it would be to calve this spring, sell all your cows, keep the youngstock and start milking at home in 12 months.

The only way you will find enough time in the day to achieve your plan is to have where you are running smoothly so you have time to develop home.
 

Jdunn55

Member
STOP.

I seriously admire what you are doing and your plans. But your probably getting ahead of yourself.

I know you want to return home and milk there in the medium term. But everything you talk about above will take at least 12 months in planning and another 12 to build. At the earliest you will be home in 2 years and you will have broken yourself in the process.

Get where you are sorted because whatever happens your still going to be there for a while.

The only other way you could do it would be to calve this spring, sell all your cows, keep the youngstock and start milking at home in 12 months.

The only way you will find enough time in the day to achieve your plan is to have where you are running smoothly so you have time to develop home.
You're not wrong but at this rate I'm going to be forced to, I need to give 12 months notice if I want to go, but I'll make it very clear I do not want to go, yet.
My hand is being forced at this present time, and I am absolutely sick to death of being lied to and walked all over, I will not put up with being treated the way I am currently for another 4 or 9 years, I can't do it.
 

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