Milking parlour in the middle?

[Dairyman Steve]

Hello everyone,

Has anyone got or know anyone who has their milking parlour and collecting yard in the middle of the shed with straw yards eitherside and feed fences on the outsides of the building and if so what are the good points bad points etc?

 

[S J H]

You could split cows into 2 groups, 1 one side 1 the other, the main disadvantage I'd of thought would be having a very wide span shed, otherwise valley gutters

 

[Princess Pooper]

How far then from the parlour to the dairy and milk silo and for the tanker to access?

 

[multi power]

we sort of have, 2 cublcle buildings on one side of parlour, 1 the other side, its nothing but a pain in the backside, just to scrape collecting yard you have to get tractor n scraper through various gates n through a bunch of cows

 

[Blue.]

I have built my dairy unit so the dairy and feed bin are at one end (the clean end) the slurry goes out via a slatted channel out the side and the silage comes in from the far end,I have two groups either side of the feed passage and cows leave each group and are milked in a rotation.

Building it like this means I can extend without much trouble,my shed is 35m wide no reason you couldn't have bedded yards instead of cubicle passages in the same size shed.

 

[Dairyman Steve]

How far then from the parlour to the dairy and milk silo and for the tanker to access?

The dairy would be at the end of the parlour

 

[Dairyman Steve]

we sort of have, 2 cublcle buildings on one side of parlour, 1 the other side, its nothing but a pain in the backside, just to scrape collecting yard you have to get tractor n scraper through various gates n through a bunch of cows

In my design though you can have easy access to the collecting yard through doors at the bottom of the collecting yard if that makes sense.

 

[Dairyman Steve]

I have built my dairy unit so the dairy and feed bin are at one end (the clean end) the slurry goes out via a slatted channel out the side and the silage comes in from the far end,I have two groups either side of the feed passage and cows leave each group and are milked in a rotation.

Building it like this means I can extend without much trouble,my shed is 35m wide no reason you couldn't have bedded yards instead of cubicle passages in the same size shed.

Would you be able to send a floor plan or a diagram please?

 

[multi power]

In my design though you can have easy access to the collecting yard through doors at the bottom of the collecting yard if that makes sense.

ah yea fair point, here you cant get access to the "back" end of collecting yard because of slurry lagoon

 

[S J H]

I have built my dairy unit so the dairy and feed bin are at one end (the clean end) the slurry goes out via a slatted channel out the side and the silage comes in from the far end,I have two groups either side of the feed passage and cows leave each group and are milked in a rotation.

Building it like this means I can extend without much trouble,my shed is 35m wide no reason you couldn't have bedded yards instead of cubicle passages in the same size shed.

That sounds spot on @eulb . I can't understand why more farms weren't designed to have a clean front and all the shite flow to back.

 

[Blue.]

This is virtually the same dimensions (width)as mine,except my parlour and collecting are at one end.

 

[Dairyman Steve]

View attachment 61345

This is virtually the same dimensions (width)as mine,except my parlour and collecting are at one end.

Thankyou for your reply and the building plan.
What are the advantages and disadvantages with having your parlour and collecting yard at one end of the shed at a 90 degree angle over what most people suggest and have the milking parlour and collecting yard next to the straw yards/cubicles in a parallel line with access to the collecting yard at one end of the building where there is a crossover passage for the yard on the far side of the shed?

Regards

Dairyman Steve