Old milking parlours for small herds

[Swaley]

Hello all,
Is it wanting to know if anyone is still milking small herds or any size herds in older style parlours e.g. byres, step up parlours or abreast. It would be interesting to see some photos of them if possible also how long does it take you to milk the cows through it.
Many thanks all.

 

[spin cycle]

@Tim G

 

[vulcan]

Hello all,
Is it wanting to know if anyone is still milking small herds or any size herds in older style parlours e.g. byres, step up parlours or abreast. It would be interesting to see some photos of them if possible also how long does it take you to milk the cows through it.
Many thanks all.

Here you go here's our set up thought I had more pictures on my phone but only got this 1 there is more pictures on another thread on here somewhere.

 

[Swaley]

Here you go here's our set up thought I had more pictures on my phone but only got this 1 there is more pictures on another thread on here somewhere.

We milked 200 through a parlour just like yours until we sold up 12 years ago also proper looking cattle them looking well

 

[LTH]

I’ve put these up before so you may have seen them

 

[Skintagain]

I’ve put these up before so you may have seen them

You must be a rarity

 

[LTH]

You must be a rarity

There’s one person fairly local that milks in one but won’t be many anymore

 

[organicguy]

There’s one person fairly local that milks in one but won’t be many anymore

Very rare, Friesians as well, look really well.

 

[som farmer]

but it Cleary shows you don't have to spend a fortune on a parlour to start milking again. We went back into milk in 2007, the old herringbone parlour, had been removed and converted, we couldn't find a 2nd hand h/bone, but found an abreast locally, measured up, made the step up to match, with sterling board, poured the concrete, bolted down the abreast, and away we went. We made the decision, we had a very tight window to do it, it was 4 weeks, from thinking about it, to the tanker arriving, we used that parlour for 3 years, till we replaced with h/b. The total cost of putting in the abreast, including bulk tank, was £5,000, plus a lot of hard work by us. But a simple parlour, even a shippon, though some processors ban their use, can be incredibly cheap to install. Disagreeing with many, a keen/dedicated person, could very easily get into milk production, without spending a fortune, perfectly good cows, go through market rings, with a 'fault', light, 3/4, slightly lame, or 'senior', for a lot less than a £1,000, if you were prepared to sit on your hands at dispersals, sound, but faulted cows, as above, could be bought for £5/600. I suspect the hardest part would be the buyer. We were lucky, local cheese maker had ours, and not fussy about cc, we bought a lot of cows sub £450, milked our suckler hfrs, not pretty, but got us going. Now 24/24 hb, and 180 cows, that, we could never have done, without the 'cheapy parlour' and 'ugly' cows.

 

[LTH]

Very rare, Friesians as well, look really well.

Thank you, aiming to breed all our our replacements now and have all pure friesians and my handful of pedigree shorthorns.

 

[LTH]

but it Cleary shows you don't have to spend a fortune on a parlour to start milking again. We went back into milk in 2007, the old herringbone parlour, had been removed and converted, we couldn't find a 2nd hand h/bone, but found an abreast locally, measured up, made the step up to match, with sterling board, poured the concrete, bolted down the abreast, and away we went. We made the decision, we had a very tight window to do it, it was 4 weeks, from thinking about it, to the tanker arriving, we used that parlour for 3 years, till we replaced with h/b. The total cost of putting in the abreast, including bulk tank, was £5,000, plus a lot of hard work by us. But a simple parlour, even a shippon, though some processors ban their use, can be incredibly cheap to install. Disagreeing with many, a keen/dedicated person, could very easily get into milk production, without spending a fortune, perfectly good cows, go through market rings, with a 'fault', light, 3/4, slightly lame, or 'senior', for a lot less than a £1,000, if you were prepared to sit on your hands at dispersals, sound, but faulted cows, as above, could be bought for £5/600. I suspect the hardest part would be the buyer. We were lucky, local cheese maker had ours, and not fussy about cc, we bought a lot of cows sub £450, milked our suckler hfrs, not pretty, but got us going. Now 24/24 hb, and 180 cows, that, we could never have done, without the 'cheapy parlour' and 'ugly' cows.

It was built in about 1955, at the time would have been very modern with the straight glass milk line, thought about converting it or just putting a new abreast in to take a bit of time off, I’m not keen on herringbone parlours.

 

[Splitpin]

@Wesley cowstall above reminds me exactly of your place, you got any old pics

 

[som farmer]

It was built in about 1955, at the time would have been very modern with the straight glass milk line, thought about converting it or just putting a new abreast in to take a bit of time off, I’m not keen on herringbone parlours.

got some farm and country mags from 1950/51, you could have a 'double' 24 cow barn, erected, with milk line, for £1,200. ish, 2 firms advertising that.

 

[LTH]

got some farm and country mags from 1950/51, you could have a 'double' 24 cow barn, erected, with milk line, for £1,200. ish, 2 firms advertising that.

It’s built by Atcost, with a mix of fullwood, Alfa-laval interior, and manus tank. Not the original tank but be 30yrs plus

 

[Martyn]

I’ve put these up before so you may have seen them

Do you just put a loose chain/over the neck to keep them in place?

 

[LTH]

Do you just put a loose chain/over the neck to keep them in place?

Cow bands like that

 

[LTH]

 

[Martyn]

Iv sean similar in old barns never actually in use. Does it mean bringing fresh heifers in a two person job. Cows are great credit to you

 

[spark plug]

Have a look a The Funky Farmer on YouTube he milks in a small abreast parlour and had dons some milking videos.

 

[LTH]

Iv sean similar in old barns never actually in use. Does it mean bringing fresh heifers in a two person job. Cows are great credit to you

Thanks trying to keep improving them pedigree Friesian is the dream. It can be, they were a bit too well petted this time so wasn’t too much of an issue, have to have a rope behind them though so they don’t walk back when cakes finished and rip the whole lot off!