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milking parlour build

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    #62
    delaval
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,949 ✭✭✭delaval


    jersey101 wrote: »
    Trying to work out what size of a collecting yard i need so i can order a backing gate. Does anyone know what the regulations are for collecting yards i.e. The area a cow needs or else the area of the cow. Need to make one for 150 cows
    Backing gte is the work of the devil. It will lead to more lame cows if used to push cows


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    #63
    Timmaay
    Registered Users Posts: 11,394 ✭✭✭✭Timmaay


    I was at an open day for a new 20unit fullwood parlour down the road from me. My 1st ever time being in a modern parlour as such, big eye opener for me! I'll admit to being cynical before to having all the extras likes acrs/pedometers/feed to yeild etc, but in this case it looks like money well spent, the chap has enough land to go to 250/300 cows, and has his head screwed on about minimising the workload for them.


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    #64
    delaval
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,949 ✭✭✭delaval


    Timmaay wrote: »
    I was at an open day for a new 20unit fullwood parlour down the road from me. My 1st ever time being in a modern parlour as such, big eye opener for me! I'll admit to being cynical before to having all the extras likes acrs/pedometers/feed to yeild etc, but in this case it looks like money well spent, the chap has enough land to go to 250/300 cows, and has his head screwed on about minimising the workload for them.
    How much money did he spend?


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    #65
    awaywithyou
    Registered Users Posts: 1,913 ✭✭✭awaywithyou


    delaval wrote: »
    Backing gte is the work of the devil. It will lead to more lame cows if used to push cows


    have you bells & whistles in your parlour???


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    #66
    darragh_haven
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,433 ✭✭✭darragh_haven


    awaywithyou wrote: »
    have you bells & whistles in your parlour???

    Delaval is a skin and bones type parlour. Walls are a luxury. Walls on the Atlantic Coast are a must tho :p


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    #67
    Sam Kade
    Registered Users Posts: 12,313 ✭✭✭✭Sam Kade


    I went to an open day to see a 24 unit bare bones parlour back in 2000. They were milking 200 cows it was based on a Kiwi parlour. It did the job fine without all the fancy extras :)


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    #68
    6480
    Registered Users Posts: 725 ✭✭✭6480


    Sam Kade wrote: »
    I went to an open day to see a 24 unit bare bones parlour back in 2000. They were milking 200 cows it was based on a Kiwi parlour. It did the job fine without all the fancy extras :)

    i would rather spend the money on grass land and good breeding than extras in the parlour , ok to spend if you are going to help cull down a tax bill


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    #69
    darragh_haven
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,433 ✭✭✭darragh_haven


    Sam Kade wrote: »
    I went to an open day to see a 24 unit bare bones parlour back in 2000. They were milking 200 cows it was based on a Kiwi parlour. It did the job fine without all the fancy extras :)

    That would be fine if you were only milking them hakf the time and someone else in to do it the rest of the time. But I suppose at the 200 cow mark you would.


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    #70
    freedominacup
    Registered Users Posts: 7,920 ✭✭✭freedominacup


    The BIL is putting in a 16 unit from scratch. With stallwork for 20, feeders and meters it's coming to €70k. The price range was €300 per unit from dearest to cheapest across the various suppliers.


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    #71
    keep going
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,551 ✭✭✭keep going


    Every now and again I time myself milking each row just to see where the time is actually spent and should come in in less than 7.5 minutes.I made a small change to where I stand when the cows are being left in and it made a huge difference


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    #72
    delaval
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,949 ✭✭✭delaval


    keep going wrote: »
    Every now and again I time myself milking each row just to see where the time is actually spent and should come in in less than 7.5 minutes.I made a small change to where I stand when the cows are being left in and it made a huge difference

    Dead on, it's about time and motion. A small change even the way you hold the claw, wash out, detergent that doesn't need to be rinced or filters in before milking can shave off time


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    #73
    delaval
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,949 ✭✭✭delaval


    awaywithyou wrote: »
    have you bells & whistles in your parlour???

    Our parlour would be a GTI as opposed to an 'S' class. Seat, steering wheel and a roll cage!!

    We have one on an out farm currently unused with all the toys, one of the reasons we are there I'd suspect. It will be recommissioned in 2015 and all toys will be removed as its so slow to milk there.


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    #74
    jersey101
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,190 ✭✭✭jersey101


    delaval wrote: »
    Backing gte is the work of the devil. It will lead to more lame cows if used to push cows

    how would you reckomend getting them into the parlour if you have a big yard?


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    #75
    jersey101
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,190 ✭✭✭jersey101


    Timmaay wrote: »
    I was at an open day for a new 20unit fullwood parlour down the road from me. My 1st ever time being in a modern parlour as such, big eye opener for me! I'll admit to being cynical before to having all the extras likes acrs/pedometers/feed to yeild etc, but in this case it looks like money well spent, the chap has enough land to go to 250/300 cows, and has his head screwed on about minimising the workload for them.

    i was at that yesterday too. The uncle fitted it. I liked the floor it tge pit alot


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    #76
    delaval
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,949 ✭✭✭delaval


    jersey101 wrote: »
    how would you reckomend getting them into the parlour if you have a big yard?

    Backing gate will lead to more lame cows if used for pushing cows as opposed to holding them. I've even seen ones with fence connection, shocking really to do that to a cow just because she's at the back.
    An option of your not feeding during the summer is to feed the last two rows and that keeps them interested.
    The most important element for cow flow in any parlour is a clear exit. This has a greater effect on cows coming in than all else IMO.

    No back gates here boy then no front walls either and cows getting meal all year especially in this continuing drought


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    #77
    delaval
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,949 ✭✭✭delaval


    Do any of ye try the speed test putting on cups in the Dairymaster stand at the ploughing.

    The winner did 4 in 14 seconds. I managed it in 17 after a few goes at over 20 secs. To be fair hygiene or the cow weren't a consideration with the test. Great craic though


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    #78
    whelan1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,786 ✭✭✭✭whelan1


    jersey101 wrote: »
    how would you reckomend getting them into the parlour if you have a big yard?
    thats what the kids are for:D my cows are feckers at the moment only the first row will come in themselves as they are mostly fresh ones getting meal.. milking really well, milk went up 700litres from one collection to another during the week and it has stayed up


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    #79
    jersey101
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,190 ✭✭✭jersey101


    delaval wrote: »
    Backing gate will lead to more lame cows if used for pushing cows as opposed to holding them. I've even seen ones with fence connection, shocking really to do that to a cow just because she's at the back.
    An option of your not feeding during the summer is to feed the last two rows and that keeps them interested.
    The most important element for cow flow in any parlour is a clear exit. This has a greater effect on cows coming in than all else IMO.

    No back gates here boy then no front walls either and cows getting meal all year especially in this continuing drought

    how do you manage with heifers in the spring. Put mine through the parlour before they calve so there used to it. And they still hang back.
    Ill be milking on my own here and dad will look after calves so i cant be going round chasin heifers around a collecting yard ha


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    #80
    Timmaay
    Registered Users Posts: 11,394 ✭✭✭✭Timmaay


    delaval wrote: »
    How much money did he spend?

    I didn't dare ask that question ha, at a guess 200k on the whole building! He has most other things sorted on the farm, and probably had abit of money to spend on it. Certainly wouldn't be the route I'd be going, someone said 20k was spent on the wiring of the whole parlour, I said that's around what I'd be wanting to spend on a full 10unit parlour ha.

    Jersey, Joe your uncle? I'd have shown face if I knew ya were there, I wasn't down until after 2 though.


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    #81
    delaval
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,949 ✭✭✭delaval


    jersey101 wrote: »
    how do you manage with heifers in the spring. Put mine through the parlour before they calve so there used to it. And they still hang back.
    Ill be milking on my own here and dad will look after calves so i cant be going round chasin heifers around a collecting yard ha

    Two milking from start of calving to end of ai. We ram in heifers at the end. We would put through parlour as well with a few dry cows


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    #82
    jersey101
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,190 ✭✭✭jersey101


    Timmaay wrote: »
    I didn't dare ask that question ha, at a guess 200k on the whole building! He has most other things sorted on the farm, and probably had abit of money to spend on it. Certainly wouldn't be the route I'd be going, someone said 20k was spent on the wiring of the whole parlour, I said that's around what I'd be wanting to spend on a full 10unit parlour ha.

    Jersey, Joe your uncle? I'd have shown face if I knew ya were there, I wasn't down until after 2 though.

    yep joe is my uncle. My father knows hugh well. Ah we were there at 12 left about one ish. Did ye see the meak feeders? They trickle down the meal to the cow based on her expected time milking. So itll give her the kg over 4-5 min


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    #83
    jersey101
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,190 ✭✭✭jersey101


    delaval wrote: »
    Two milking from start of calving to end of ai. We ram in heifers at the end. We would put through parlour as well with a few dry cows

    hmmm think my fathers days milking cows are finished. Hard enough to get him to milk in the summer never mind in the spring


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    #84
    mahoney_j
    Registered Users Posts: 11,097 ✭✭✭✭mahoney_j


    Lads as someone with a bells and whistles parlour,I can't recommend bit enough.then again I have a highish enough yielding hol cow that needs to be feed to yield and needs a bit of pampering.another thing I took into account I am still youngish (33) married and with one daughter and I refuse to be a slave to the job.both milkings at peak take me no more than an hour and forty minutes.my farm is well set up as regards accommodation ,grassland reseeding etc.i am ready to expand by 30% in 2015 and also have stock on the ground..then there is the tax issue,I hate handing over money to mr collector general.spending a chunk of money on my own business that will make my life easier and allow me to milk my cow to her full potential was a no brained.capital allowances reduce my tax bill for the next few years


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    #85
    dar31
    Registered Users Posts: 1,701 ✭✭✭dar31


    jersey101 wrote: »
    yep joe is my uncle. My father knows hugh well. Ah we were there at 12 left about one ish. Did ye see the meak feeders? They trickle down the meal to the cow based on her expected time milking. So itll give her the kg over 4-5 min

    the big man himself...curious now
    couldnt make it up for a look as Bil was getting married, would have looked a sight in the suit and wellies, father went though said it was very impressive parlour calving and crushes under one roof, will go for a look some other time, heard figures of 230 being thrown around


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    #86
    jersey101
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,190 ✭✭✭jersey101


    dar31 wrote: »
    the big man himself...curious now
    couldnt make it up for a look as Bil was getting married, would have looked a sight in the suit and wellies, father went though said it was very impressive parlour calving and crushes under one roof, will go for a look some other time, heard figures of 230 being thrown around

    ah it was impressive now alright. Not to my likeing though. Joe said there was a week putting wires in. Never mind coneccting them up. Ill find out from joe next time i see him :D


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    #87
    dar31
    Registered Users Posts: 1,701 ✭✭✭dar31


    he has been trying to get me up there for a good while now and see if id part with some money, he is getting fed up fixing my vintage lady.
    played a bit of rugby with one of the brothers that wire it


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    #88
    Sam Kade
    Registered Users Posts: 12,313 ✭✭✭✭Sam Kade


    delaval wrote: »
    Do any of ye try the speed test putting on cups in the Dairymaster stand at the ploughing.

    The winner did 4 in 14 seconds. I managed it in 17 after a few goes at over 20 secs. To be fair hygiene or the cow weren't a consideration with the test. Great craic though
    What did the winner get?


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    #89
    Timmaay
    Registered Users Posts: 11,394 ✭✭✭✭Timmaay


    jersey101 wrote: »
    yep joe is my uncle. My father knows hugh well. Ah we were there at 12 left about one ish. Did ye see the meak feeders? They trickle down the meal to the cow based on her expected time milking. So itll give her the kg over 4-5 min

    Joe does alot of our parlour and scraper servicing, I'd know Hugh very well myself also. I was looking at feeders at the ploughing, saw thoses fullwood feeders alright, 1000 quid for 2cows not bad, cheapest feeders I could find other than the batch feeders were Powers feeders which worked out 560 for manual, or about 750 pneumatic. The trickle feed does sound useful, would be less poaching of food, and all plastic is good also, most steel ones will rot. But I think for now I'll be staying on a bar budget so will probably go with the manual Powers feeders


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    #90
    delaval
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,949 ✭✭✭delaval


    Sam Kade wrote: »
    What did the winner get?

    They took our numbers, no idea if there was a prize 'it's the taking part that counts'

    If it was a Dairymaster parlour I'd have to take the money and buy two others in its place!!!!!!


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    #91
    6480
    Registered Users Posts: 725 ✭✭✭6480


    jersey101 wrote: »
    Trying to work out what size of a collecting yard i need so i can order a backing gate. Does anyone know what the regulations are for collecting yards i.e. The area a cow needs or else the area of the cow. Need to make one for 150 cows

    i have a good coille dog here she goes for the cows morning and evening , no need for a backing gate when she s about , would be lost without her


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