Drafting system in the parlour

Timmaay

Many of yous have a proper drafting system for the cows when they exit the parlour? Most the ones I've seen to date are quite expensive, but appear to do a very good job (likes of the dairymaster/fullwood fully automatic ones). I only saw this on donedeal now: http://www.donedeal.ie/milkingparlours-for-sale/simple-cow-drafting-system/6050211 Cheapest one I've seen. At the minute my drafting system is a 15ft gate with a pin on one side, and shed/field on the other. It works fine with the 6unit parlour, as your never really under pressure but once I add on more units I know I'll need something better, especially during winter etc, when you have more of a premilking routine.

Anyways, with the likes of that system above, are cows not liable to try go out two at a time, and end up wedged, or worse again, a cow who has been drafted through alreadly could force her way back. I'm basically asking is a low cost system like the above too much of a compromise, not at all good enough to have any sort of automatic drafting, and maybe doesn't offer much more benefit than just a well designed manual drafting gate, close to the parlour that you can slip out and swing about as needs be?

maxxuumman

Timmaay wrote: »

Many of yous have a proper drafting system for the cows when they exit the parlour? Most the ones I've seen to date are quite expensive, but appear to do a very good job (likes of the dairymaster/fullwood fully automatic ones). I only saw this on donedeal now: http://www.donedeal.ie/milkingparlours-for-sale/simple-cow-drafting-system/6050211 Cheapest one I've seen. At the minute my drafting system is a 15ft gate with a pin on one side, and shed/field on the other. It works fine with the 6unit parlour, as your never really under pressure but once I add on more units I know I'll need something better, especially during winter etc, when you have more of a premilking routine.

Anyways, with the likes of that system above, are cows not liable to try go out two at a time, and end up wedged, or worse again, a cow who has been drafted through alreadly could force her way back. I'm basically asking is a low cost system like the above too much of a compromise, not at all good enough to have any sort of automatic drafting, and maybe doesn't offer much more benefit than just a well designed manual drafting gate, close to the parlour that you can slip out and swing about as needs be?

A simple addition to the one on donedeal would be to put in an S gate before the drafting gate to slow them down and make sure they are in single file.

Timmaay

Whats an S gate?

keep going

The donedeal one looks well but arent there ones worked off ropes as well.going doing one this dry period butby the sounds of it ,it will be similar to yours.do you work yours from the pit

maxxuumman

Timmaay wrote: »

Whats an S gate?

It's a long ( length of cow) gate the shape of ~ hinged in the middle and it hangs on the side of the race. As the cow walks through the race she pushes past the ~. As she passes the narrow bit she shoves it out and that closes the space behind her so no cow can get it. Only once she clears the gate can the next cow start into the gate.
Badly explained, but that's the gist of it.

Sam Kade

maxxuumman wrote: »

A simple addition to the one on donedeal would be to put in an S gate before the drafting gate to slow them down and make sure they are in single file.

But that will also slow down milking

bbam

Timmaay wrote: »

Many of yous have a proper drafting system for the cows when they exit the parlour? Most the ones I've seen to date are quite expensive, but appear to do a very good job (likes of the dairymaster/fullwood fully automatic ones). I only saw this on donedeal now: http://www.donedeal.ie/milkingparlours-for-sale/simple-cow-drafting-system/6050211 Cheapest one I've seen. At the minute my drafting system is a 15ft gate with a pin on one side, and shed/field on the other. It works fine with the 6unit parlour, as your never really under pressure but once I add on more units I know I'll need something better, especially during winter etc, when you have more of a premilking routine.

Anyways, with the likes of that system above, are cows not liable to try go out two at a time, and end up wedged, or worse again, a cow who has been drafted through alreadly could force her way back. I'm basically asking is a low cost system like the above too much of a compromise, not at all good enough to have any sort of automatic drafting, and maybe doesn't offer much more benefit than just a well designed manual drafting gate, close to the parlour that you can slip out and swing about as needs be?

Jesus it's still a lot of cash for a few lengths of blue band gunbarrel. I'd have thought ye handy lads could knock something like this together over the long winter months?

Is it just a pneumatic ram operated from a switch in the pit or how is it operated? And would you have a compressed air supply close? There's another €150 if you need a wee compressor to run it.

I'd be thinking of approaching a small eng firm nearbye with those pictures and see what they could do.

Timmaay

bbam wrote: »

Jesus it's still a lot of cash for a few lengths of blue band gunbarrel. I'd have thought ye handy lads could knock something like this together over the long winter months?

Is it just a pneumatic ram operated from a switch in the pit or how is it operated? And would you have a compressed air supply close? There's another €150 if you need a wee compressor to run it.

I'd be thinking of approaching a small eng firm nearbye with those pictures and see what they could do.

Ah yeh, if I do install something like that basic one I'll probably make it myself. In fairness however, fair bit of engineering in the more expensive fully automatic ones, and any farmers them installed say they are the most used bit of equipment on the farm! Anyways, the pneumatic ram can be connected to the vacuum system for the parlour, I'd assume it need a its own regulator also.

And thanks maxxuumman, I have actually seen one of them s gates, they are in the fullwood drafting systems? They would be a little trickery to make from scratch, but not impossible either.

Timmaay

Sam Kade wrote: »

But that will also slow down milking

Most drafting systems are a decent bit downstream of the parlour exit, it really slows down milking if you don't have enough space at the parlour exit to take the whole row of cows.

keep going

Would a vac operated drafting gate require much extra vac reserve to operate, will have a small bit extra capacity in the new pump

frazzledhome

keep going wrote: »

Would a vac operated drafting gate require much extra vac reserve to operate, will have a small bit extra capacity in the new pump

I have Alfco take nearly none

keep going

frazzledhome wrote: »

I have Alfco take nearly none

Thanks and is there much power in the would be looking to operate a 12 /13 ft drafting gate

frazzledhome

keep going wrote: »

Would a vac operated drafting gate require much extra vac reserve to operate, will have a small bit extra capacity in the new pump

I have Alfco take nearly none

farisfat

Has anyone any experience of the alfco drafting unit that uses the tail transponders.
Getting a little tiered here with the manual drafting gate....I think the long spring is taking its toll

Keepgrowing

farisfat wrote: »

Has anyone any experience of the alfco drafting unit that uses the tail transponders.
Getting a little tiered here with the manual drafting gate....I think the long spring is taking its toll

We have used one for the last 6 years. Really simple, accurate and reliable

Up graded it to an eid system this year. Our tail transponder one is still here and for sale

kowtow

Keepgrowing wrote: »

We have used one for the last 6 years. Really simple, accurate and reliable

Up graded it to an eid system this year. Our tail transponder one is still here and for sale

What's the approximate minimum space (length vs. width) the old one takes up?

Trying to find a solution to fit in a 16ft wide yard on the side of the parlour.. which also has the crush in it. So the drafting unit would basically be the return, and I suppose it would have to kick cows out to some tiny holding pen. Can't remember the length of the parlour offhand but built for a six unit herringbone so only 8 or 9 metres I would say.