Our new(ish) parlour

[Tim G]

That's a great story for your own business and family history, you'd have to buy it after hearing it

It was a nice connection, my grandfather died when I was seven but he was the closest family member involved in farming so he must of had quite an influence on me!
The farmer who sold me the parlour rembered my grandfather often having his daughter (my mum) with him when visiting farms and it made her day when I told her this, she was an only child and very close to her father.

 

[mixed farm]

It was a nice connection, my grandfather died when I was seven but he was the closest family member involved in farming so he must of had quite an influence on me!
The farmer who sold me the parlour rembered my grandfather often having his daughter (my mum) with him when visiting farms and it made her day when I told her this, she was an only child and very close to her father.

Fantastic story

 

[Oscar]

Only just seen this thread as its linked to another thread today !
Fantastic story and well done on getting it all up and running. As others said, nice to see a start up happening.
Also reminds me of childhood as Dad milked around 100 cows through a 6 a breast parlour up to quitting in 1971 when I was 7 . Can remember it being used and me going out while milking was on . The parlour metal work got removed in the 70 s but the dairy room contents not until the 80 s mostly .
Anyhow things change and old parlour building was filled with furniture and tat from various family deaths and I inherited it in 99 and only cleared it all out 3 months ago . Unfortunately , no valuable or even useful things were found as most of it got wet when roof was damaged and it took 4 years before replacement from landlords. The old dairy shed next door has been my spray store for 21 years and old vacumn pump and concrete base jack hammered out , again last 2 months [ boy was concrete hard !!!]
Both sheds are now insulated and painted and are now housing rather different livestock for our farm school, Royal Python, Bearded Dragons, Tortoise, various other reptiles, ferrets, Guinee pigs, rabbits etc .Not sure what my Dad would have said !!!
Gone a bit OT but it had a parlour link to it !!!

 

[Tim G]

Gloomy morning's have made this job important, led batten lights fitted up and a led flood light over the collecting yard. It might not look bright but it felt like I was getting a tan whilst milking, the difference is fantastic.

 

[Tim G]

Back on the first page, I had a picture of our cows being milked in the 'temporary' parlour. That is now being converted to our tank and bottling room.
We put in a timber frame to support the ceiling panels, walled half of the open front (the other half will have a sliding door across, big enough to get the bulk tank out of if needs be) and put a wall across the back. It's a bit smaller because we bought the back wall in slightly so the vacuum pump and compressor can sit behind it, out of the way but under cover. The new walls are timber stud, sterling board and then plastic lined, the existing rendered walls have been painted.

 

[pappuller]

Back on the first page, I had a picture of our cows being milked in the 'temporary' parlour. That is now being converted to our tank and bottling room.
We put in a timber frame to support the ceiling panels, walled half of the open front (the other half will have a sliding door across, big enough to get the bulk tank out of if needs be) and put a wall across the back. It's a bit smaller because we bought the back wall in slightly so the vacuum pump and compressor can sit behind it, out of the way but under cover. The new walls are timber stud, sterling board and then plastic lined, the existing rendered walls have been painted. View attachment 922764View attachment 922766View attachment 922767

Looks fab @Tim G

 

[Jaffa Cakes]

View attachment 922761View attachment 922762
Gloomy morning's have made this job important, led batten lights fitted up and a led flood light over the collecting yard. It might not look bright but it felt like I was getting a tan whilst milking, the difference is fantastic.

Do you milk all year round or will you have a dry period?

 

[Tim G]

Do you milk all year round or will you have a dry period?

Yep, all year round.

 

[markpentre]

Keep the pictures coming!!! Brilliant Thread!!

 

[JP1]

Keep the pictures coming!!! Brilliant Thread!!

There's a new door to come soon

 

[Tim G]

It's 'come' but needs fitting....
Need to find some sliding door gear to fit it.
In testiment to the strength of the paneltim doors from @JP1, a cow got a bit keen to come into the parlour the other night, hitting the door a bit (a lot) harder than I would have liked. The running gear at the top broke, the angle iron the door runs in at the bottom broke, the door is unscathed.

 

[oakfarm]

View attachment 877921
We took what felt like a brave jump and ordered 255 glass bottles a few months ago. It was the minimum amount they would print and we were a bit unsure how they would go. There was a six week wait and the bottles arrived in time to start selling on the last Saturday of April. They've gone so well that after 17 days of selling them, we've ordered another 400. They are (mostly) getting returned for refilling, but lots of customers switching over to them.

Can I ask where did you get these done been looking for a place that does them. In small amounts

 

[upnortheast]

Can I ask where did you get these done been looking for a place that does them. In small amounts

Try Seaways Services. Pallet will be the least they do I think. https://seaways-services.com/dairy/
or Alex Baird https://ab-handling.com/collections/milk-bottles
As with everything more you get done better the price will be
& don`t underestimate your customers ability to loose them / forget them/ break them

 

[Tim G]

Can I ask where did you get these done been looking for a place that does them. In small amounts

We got the bottles from a company called Graham Tyson, the rep just turned up in the yard one day an left a sample bottle. When we decided to get some bottles they were a fair bit cheaper the seaways. Our first batch was the minium amount of 250, but we soon needed more and got another 400. As @upnortheast says, don't underestimate how many will 'disappear', despite charging a deposit on ours the number of people that happily just chuck them away because its easy than washing them and bringing them back, is frustrating, they won't take plastic bottle though, because that is bad for the environment.......

 

[upnortheast]

Chatting this morning to someone about the problems of hard frost, getting van doors to open & shut being our main issue. He does a lot of glass. He says -8 degrees is when you find the limitations of packing in glass. ---- Messy

 

[Gerbert]

We got the bottles from a company called Graham Tyson, the rep just turned up in the yard one day an left a sample bottle. When we decided to get some bottles they were a fair bit cheaper the seaways. Our first batch was the minium amount of 250, but we soon needed more and got another 400. As @upnortheast says, don't underestimate how many will 'disappear', despite charging a deposit on ours the number of people that happily just chuck them away because its easy than washing them and bringing them back, is frustrating, they won't take plastic bottle though, because that is bad for the environment.......

As long as the deposit is at least the cost of a new bottle, whats the problem?

Great thread to!

 

[dinderleat]

As long as the deposit is at least the cost of a new bottle, whats the problem?

Great thread to!

100% mark up aswell

 

[Tim G]

Little purchase today, reasonably local. Should be better than running two small pumps.

 

[Tim G]

Bit of a write up about us in the Raw Milk Producers Association newsletter.

 

[som farmer]

View attachment 952881
Bit of a write up about us in the Raw Milk Producers Association newsletter.

some well deserved free publicity.