Milking parlours a no go.

[Shann_mann]

5 years we talked about building a new parlour. So me and my dad sat down and come up with are own ideas on where to put it. After a few fall out it was clear that it was only ever going to be built in one place and my idea wasn’t going to happen. After agreeing that it was just easier to say yes to his plans to get it built we come to a stand still for 4 years for some reason. After have friends and different rep have all said that my idea was best we got a farm advisor in to try and clear it up. We didn’t tell him are plans and let him walk around the farm on his own. He come back a few hours later with more or less the same plan as me. Which didn’t go down well. He was then marched across the yard and told over and over again my dads plan which he disagreed with. He now hasn’t spoken for 6 days. Is it time to just plough on with my plan, let him build it his way or just forget it and use the old parlour till it won’t milk anymore.

 

[Barmyfarmer]

Just crack on, once it's done he will claim it was his idea all along

 

[frederick]

Have you got the farm to a position that you can carry on with your plan regardless of his views.
Who milks in the parlour now. If you do the milking crack on.

 

[Headless chicken]

Walk away. Far far away. I was extremely fortunate that my dad left me to crack on with it and although we had our fallings out when he felt I didn’t listen there has to be one boss. If your the one who’s going to milk in it then that’s you. If he truly hasn’t spoken with you for 6 days your on a slippery slope imo. If you do go ahead make dam sure he can’t pull the rug from underneath you and leave it to the cats home.

but seriously walk.

 

[Johnnyboxer]

Get some robots instead

 

[Sharpy]

Its easy to say "you are being treated like a donkey, you would be better off away" but being subjective I am probably in a similar position re strange ideas and pigheadedness and wouldn't walk either. So the question is who is going to milk in the new parlour. If its him then his way, you then your way. If it gets done his way then make it clear he is the operator, but remember that you will have to take the flip side with a smile. Or bugger away in the old parlour........

 

[Muddyroads]

Who holds the cheque book?

 

[jimmer]

Me and the herdsman were stood out of the rain for half an hour yesterday, redesigning the farm layout, as you do when there's time to kill
Any way, all I wanted to do was make it easier for the cows to go out to graze, whereas his main objective was making winter work easier/better
Basically, we both wanted to improve things, but our priorities were slightly different
Are you and your dad prioritising different things, and if so, is it because your preferred system differs to his
Chances are you'll be doing it for longer in the future than him so just check your both on the same page, before adding the text

 

[yin ewe]

You need to spin it in such a way that he comes round to the idea and then thinks it's his idea in the first place. Like me and auld boy before 1st cut last spring.
Me- think we should cut silage tomorrow
Dad- too early and not enough crop
Me- ok we'll see in the morning
Next morning
Dad- rain forecast at the weekend, better get the grass cut.
Me- I'll ring the mower man.
At weekend raining
Dad- good job we put the silage in when we did.

 

[Mr Mackay]

Ask him - Whos going to be milking in it the most ,and see what he says?

 

[Barmyfarmer]

Put a diagram up of the yard lay out and the 2 options, set a poll up on here, we do the voting, most votes wins, simples

 

[Pennine Ploughing]

I agree, put up a diagram of the yard layout,
But ask what the best options are for improving the layout and why you would do it that way,
Don't include any of your or you fathers options, just leave it blank, but maybe include some sort of budget to work to, or someone will come along and knock it all flat and spend £6 000 000 on new

 

[Shann_mann]

I’ve made all these points about who milks in the future but he won’t have it. My way would be abit dearer but it would be a system one man could run.

 

[Shann_mann]

I’ll try made workout how to put images on and put a plan on like that for you all to give an opinion.

 

[som farmer]

I think I would like to know if the investment for a new parlour, is a paying one, awful lot of money to spend.

 

[Barmyfarmer]

I think I would like to know if the investment for a new parlour, is a paying one, awful lot of money to spend.

Not really, be the most cost efficient machine on the farm to spend money on without a doubt

 

[frederick]

Not really, be the most cost efficient machine on the farm to spend money on without a doubt

Just about to tidy ours up new mangers and front gates. 20 years in going to cost about 6k to do.
The parlour has produced about £12 million of milk. This pays for everything else.
The herdsman sees shiny tractors driving around it's the least him and the parlour deserve.

 

[som farmer]

Not really, be the most cost efficient machine on the farm to spend money on without a doubt

our dairy buildings went up in 1965, and, as many have, added on, everything is somewhat dated, and within a few years, will be classified no longer fit for purpose, this will be EA, red tractor, or some other scheme, they are not that bad, seen plenty worse, but it is the publics expectation of animal welfare, that will drive the s/mkts to ever more requirements, our nieghbour went to a dairy meeting, organised by his buyer, where they were saying, any set up over 10 to15 years old, should be replaced, as they no longer meet welfare standards. not a lot you can say, statements like that, are both stupid and idiotic. But, the only people that s/mkts listen to, are their customers, add a few vegan 'raids' on bad units, showing awful photo's of animals in distress, carefully managed for the best effect, veggies having a go as well, the public will call for 'better' welfare standards, if you don't believe it, think of the ban on euthanising crap calves, not that long ago, it was just talk, a thread on here, was ridiculed for even suggesting such a thing would happen, well, Tesco and arla started, muller has followed, barbers 2022, and others have/will follow, and the publics perception of welfare, is high on the s/mkt radar, whether you like it or not. So, before spending money on a parlour, I would want to be damn sure, that everything else is up to standard. And I fully agree a milking parlour, on a dairy farm, is the most profitable bit of kit.

 

[Tarw Coch]

our dairy buildings went up in 1965, and, as many have, added on, everything is somewhat dated, and within a few years, will be classified no longer fit for purpose, this will be EA, red tractor, or some other scheme, they are not that bad, seen plenty worse, but it is the publics expectation of animal welfare, that will drive the s/mkts to ever more requirements, our nieghbour went to a dairy meeting, organised by his buyer, where they were saying, any set up over 10 to15 years old, should be replaced, as they no longer meet welfare standards. not a lot you can say, statements like that, are both stupid and idiotic. But, the only people that s/mkts listen to, are their customers, add a few vegan 'raids' on bad units, showing awful photo's of animals in distress, carefully managed for the best effect, veggies having a go as well, the public will call for 'better' welfare standards, if you don't believe it, think of the ban on euthanising crap calves, not that long ago, it was just talk, a thread on here, was ridiculed for even suggesting such a thing would happen, well, Tesco and arla started, muller has followed, barbers 2022, and others have/will follow, and the publics perception of welfare, is high on the s/mkt radar, whether you like it or not. So, before spending money on a parlour, I would want to be damn sure, that everything else is up to standard. And I fully agree a milking parlour, on a dairy farm, is the most profitable bit of kit.

A post like that makes me wonder why the heck I’d want to milk cows long term despite significant investments in parlour, housing and slurry storage over the last 10 years.

 

[Pennine Ploughing]

A post like that makes me wonder why the heck I’d want to milk cows long term despite significant investments in parlour, housing and slurry storage over the last 10 years.

Aye and I can see slurry storage being a ting of the past in years to come, and being replaced with separators, due to methane given off while stirring and spreading, the time will come for just dirty water and solid muçk, on environmental grounds