Parlour Option

Which parlour to milk 200 cows an hour

  • 32/64 with feeders

    Votes: 17 23.3%
  • 32/64 with basic fast exit

    Votes: 8 11.0%
  • 50/60 point rotary.

    Votes: 48 65.8%

  • Total voters
    73

Rossymons

Member
Location
Cornwall
Rotary.

The cost between the rotary and the rapid exit probably won't be that much as its surprising how much room a rapid exit will need.

I look at a rapid exit and all the bearings, switches, rams and think what a nightmare that could be to repair and maintain. The worst thing for a rotary is that it might not spin but I've seen a few that can be tractor powered in an emergency.

As others said the rotary will be the parlour easiest to retro fit any tech.
 

Wesley

Member
Think I’d price up two standard herringbones while I was deciding options. Far less moving parts than either of the other two. Have to be something serious for them both to go wrong at once. Probably similar footprint & could have serious output.
 

jimmer

Member
Location
East Devon
We are milking for more than 3 hours at the moment with an extra 150 heifers to calf in the next 12 months.

I'd like to milk 200 cows an hour. Holsteins 9500litres+ average so 30-33 a day. Currently do a mix of foaming/washable wipe on fresher calvers and soaked washable wipe on the rest.

I would only consider ATL/Milfos/GEA.

Interestingly I've spoken to a few fitters from different companies and they all said if they were milking themselves they wouldn't have a rotary.

An example of the style of fast exit i'm considering.
You've not said how many total in milk or projected
1000 cows, 200/hr is still 5 hours which is pants
A 70 point rotary will probably do 300+/hr which makes 1000 cows more palatable
 

Dead Rabbits

Member
Location
'Merica
Rotary.

The cost between the rotary and the rapid exit probably won't be that much as its surprising how much room a rapid exit will need.

I look at a rapid exit and all the bearings, switches, rams and think what a nightmare that could be to repair and maintain. The worst thing for a rotary is that it might not spin but I've seen a few that can be tractor powered in an emergency.

As others said the rotary will be the parlour easiest to retro fit any tech.
That’s not the worst that can happen to a rotary…….
 

DairyGrazing

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
North West
My reason for rotary is it will be the most likely to be easily automated in time the rapid exit can't see automation happening.

Automated exit and teat spraying exist now. Automatic clusters on has been worked on for years but it will arrive and will be a retrofit option when available.

Well that has been my thought. I grantee you given my luck that if we buy a rotary it will be the only model that can't be updated.
 

Ben B

Member
Mixed Farmer
I always toss up what's best we won't be building another one once this ones dies just sell the cows. Rotary has more moving parts but is well efficient per hr and is simple to upgrade. My mate Milking 900 cows just dropped a fair chunk of money to upgrade his 20 Yr old 50 unit from two person to single operator. Solely because labour is hard to get and now atlest he can milk by himself. There is some running costs involved to keep them tight and reliable and to behonest in another 20 years you'll need to build the next one or do some serious upgrades to the running plant. Or atlest that's what the people out here are finding.
 

DairyGrazing

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
North West
How many cows after your heifers have calved in?
Then plus a few more....
Is 200/hour enough?

460 milking depending on culling through the summer. Keen to start milking at 3pm and have everyone in their cars leaving by 5.30pm. So probably will need to milk more than 200/hr.
 
Last edited:

DairyGrazing

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
North West
The other option is to put in 2 parlours,2 20/40 parlours would milk 200 cows and hour with 2 men.

That has been suggested we'd just split out double up. Personally I don't want to milk on my own anymore. Plus in most 2 person parlour you can survive with one person who knows what they are doing with a another pair of hands and still finish on time.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.7%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 64 34.6%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.2%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 6 3.2%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,287
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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