Dairy chit chat II

kowtow · 06-08-2017 10:24PM

mahoney_j wrote: »

2ft 7 in mine ,but bigger frame cow

but presumably nearer 50 degrees than 30? Nobody ever suggests zig zag and mangers but I can't see why it wouldn't work, particularly at 30 degrees.

I noticed James Robinson in the UK has 3ft centres, and in his old parlour (he's just replaced the machine) he had ACR's with the jars. The ACR tracked across on something like a sliding door rail, kind of a slide over rather than a swingover. IHe was very happy with them (although not as happy as he is with the new set up!)

He's kept the 3ft centres.

K.G. · 06-08-2017 11:46PM

Why the gra for 3ft centres.used to milk in a place with 3 ft and pipe out the side and milking between the legs is way a head

kowtow · 07-08-2017 12:12AM

K.G. wrote:

Why the gra for 3ft centres.used to milk in a place with 3 ft and pipe out the side and milking between the legs is way a head

In my case I just want a decent sized pit back without tearing a wall out... don't some people milk between the legs at 3ft?

K.G. · 07-08-2017 09:38AM

kowtow wrote: »

In my case I just want a decent sized pit back without tearing a wall out... don't some people milk between the legs at 3ft?

Maybe i just find the udder is presented better and less problems withpipes under cows feet.

Buford T. Justice XIX · 07-08-2017 11:36AM

kevthegaff wrote: »

Will mangers prevent bullying? Also would a 24 unit be much faster than a 20? I'd hope that milking 6 or 7 rows of a 20 unit with acrs would be not much longer than an hour

No but it will reduce it. I find it handy for heifers in spring, they get a good chance to eat before the cow behind starts to look for her ration. I reckon whatever way you have the parlour set up, you are still going to get 2 heifers into one space at times which can be handy to squeeze them up to put a cluster on a fresh calver. I will have my heifers on cubicles this winter for the first time in 10 years or so and I'm hoping to run them through the parlour a few times before calving with thinner cows to lead them in and out to get them used to going in.

On the 20 v 24 units, I'd say the benefit is marginal but a lot will depend on your preparation time. If you do the bare minimum prep, then you will get to the end of the row before the first clusters start coming off or needing to come off. If you are at the 16 or 17th unit when they start coming off, then I reckon a lad either has too many units idle for too long or prep is taking too long.

As j said above, get cow flow sorted coming in and straight ahead going out if possible and you can open the gates before the last of the cows are milked and they can be ambling along out while you are still putting on clusters.

The big delay comes from waiting for the last cows to leave so the gate can be closed and how long the first cow takes to walk up to the front for milking. Longer pit means waiting longer for her to hit the top so you may be looking at 2'3" centers or rapid exit parlours to minimise those delays.

kowtow · 07-08-2017 11:44AM

K.G. wrote: »

Maybe i just find the udder is presented better and less problems withpipes under cows feet.

So if I understand you right better to stay milking between the back legs, which is what we do now at 2'6" - and what I'd prefer to keep doing at 3ft. I think it's all to do with jar / swingover position. if it's far enough back the cluster should be able to go either way at 3ft.

K.G. · 07-08-2017 02:48PM

kowtow wrote: »

So if I understand you right better to stay milking between the back legs, which is what we do now at 2'6" - and what I'd prefer to keep doing at 3ft. I think it's all to do with jar / swingover position. if it's far enough back the cluster should be able to go either way at 3ft.

I just find the four teats are presented close to you and its easier to cup them than if i go from the front of leg the back two teats are harder to see and cup as your hand has flex back around the leg.pipe length also becomes an issue as if the pipes are long they may be close to the hoof which can lead to clusters coming off.maybe its just the parlour setup that was there but i never liked it.maybe some on here does it between the legs at 3ft if the joints are setup for it in the milk line.add in the extra walking for each unit i just think 2ft6 is better

Keepgrowing · 07-08-2017 02:57PM

kowtow wrote: »

kg: I know you have mangers in there, but do you think a zig zag rump rail and a straight trough would work equally well?

Am a bit worried that feeding to yield will have them all racing up the inside of each other...

My experience with straight trough at 3' centres was of cows doing as they pleased. If any pressure from behind they got their front feet into the trough.

I'd compromise on pit width not to have straight trough especially if as you say you're considering fty.

Btw my thoughts on fty are that it feeds the milkier cow more thus creating the need to feed her more iykwim.

Keepgrowing · 07-08-2017 02:59PM

mahoney_j wrote: »

Yes I've mangers and zig zag rail behind ,great pleasure in spring with heifers no bullying ,also 24v 20 difference would be minimal with 6/7 rows I think ,good backing gate with good cow flow in and out of parlour would be better

If a backing gate is required you've bad cow flow or some problem in the parlour. Completely against them as they only cure a symptom not the cause

Cows should walk into milking at their own ease and will

kowtow · 07-08-2017 03:54PM

Keepgrowing wrote: »

My experience with straight trough at 3' centres was of cows doing as they pleased. If any pressure from behind they got their front feet into the trough.

I'd compromise on pit width not to have straight trough especially if as you say you're considering fty.

Btw my thoughts on fty are that it feeds the milkier cow more thus creating the need to feed her more iykwim.

We could do mangers at 30 degrees combined with a zig zag rail if that would make them stand steady ... not too worried about the cow flow issue as five units each side and small numbers.

Problem is a four foot pit is a real penance and I don't want to lose jars because I often take the milk from one particular cow or another for various reasons.

Alternative is to move a wall and raise the roof which is probably what I should do anyway but I'm not really in the mood for building at the moment and the state of the parlour is beginning to depress me!

K.G. · 07-08-2017 04:13PM

Straight trough and rump rail and no major problems at 2 "6.in the spring put in a couple of more cows to squeez the heifers.have cow.flow problems but feeders should help that but the collecting yard not great.thinking of putting in circular yard with a backing gate .its to help myself but also i have two lads 11and13 and i m trying to put myself in a position where they can milk on their own as in without me

Keepgrowing · 07-08-2017 04:31PM

K.G. wrote: »

Straight trough and rump rail and no major problems at 2 "6.in the spring put in a couple of more cows to squeez the heifers.have cow.flow problems but feeders should help that but the collecting yard not great.thinking of putting in circular yard with a backing gate .its to help myself but also i have two lads 11and13 and i m trying to put myself in a position where they can milk on their own as in without me

Working on that here, they're not quiete there yet plus I don't want to turn them off. When they're 14-15 I'll put them on weekends and pay them a rate, may not be the going rate though.

charolais0153 · 07-08-2017 04:40PM

Keepgrowing wrote: »

Working on that here, they're not quiete there yet plus I don't want to turn them off. When they're 14-15 I'll put them on weekends and pay them a rate, may not be the going rate though.

Ha, I used get paid a euro to go down the fields with the auld lad and open gates

mahoney_j · 07-08-2017 05:15PM

2 ft 7 centres ,mangers ,zig zag rail cow position pit 6 ft 4 .all Gea westfallia

mahoney_j · 07-08-2017 05:19PM

mahoney_j wrote: »

2 ft 7 centres ,mangers ,zig zag rail cow position pit 6 ft 4 .all Gea westfallia

Pics

GrasstoMilk · 07-08-2017 06:42PM

Anyone else graze there calves like this?

Been doing it here for a few years because they are generally grazed at home for there first season and find it's the best way for me to keep the right grass in front of them. Other wise they just get thrown in a paddock and could be left there for 10 days. This way they get fresh grass every 2 nd day and back fenced off the previous piece
A the heifers will be on the one block next year so will probably be grazing the calves in front of the incalves

Mooooo · 07-08-2017 07:30PM

Mooooo wrote: »

Have mangers here with two bars in them to prevent bullying they've worked well so far I'll get a pic 2moro

Mangers

Mooooo · 07-08-2017 07:47PM

.

awaywithyou · 07-08-2017 10:25PM

mahoney_j wrote: »

Pics

Fine parlour...

U don't freeze brand ur cows??

mahoney_j · 07-08-2017 10:31PM

awaywithyou wrote: »

Fine parlour...

U don't freeze brand ur cows??

Thanks ,no no need cows have collars ,parlour auto id for fty etc

kowtow · 07-08-2017 10:39PM

Mooooo wrote: »

Mangers

Love that idea - did you add the bars because they were bullying before or were they part of the manger design? The mangers themselves look long enough?

Mooooo · 07-08-2017 11:43PM

kowtow wrote: »

Love that idea - did you add the bars because they were bullying before or were they part of the manger design? The mangers themselves look long enough?

We didn't feed meal in parlour for 15+ years but I remembered em going back and forth before. Also neighbour has regular mangers and his cows would push up or back to get ration. These were part of mangers design from dairymaster, they put a name on em to charge more anyway. Once cows are in there is no back or forth good control. They are long bit that also helps with the control.
The drawbacks with them are because of the length cows have to get used to stepping back to get out, took a few weeks before they all copped on to it and heifers nervous first time up the parlour may hit off them moving thru. Also if a heifer stops at a manger before going all the way up and a strong cow comes pushing up they can sometimes get stuck and you have to back them out to get her free. That has only happened twice this year tho.

Mooooo · 08-08-2017 07:54AM

Cows that went down in the blood gone out the road there. Hope to fcuk that's the last if it. The ones that went down in skin test had no lesions in factory

blackdog1 · 08-08-2017 08:42AM

Mooooo wrote:

Cows that went down in the blood gone out the road there. Hope to fcuk that's the last if it. The ones that went down in skin test had no lesions in factory

No lesions is a great sign. Hopefully you'll be in the clear now.

Buford T. Justice XIX · 08-08-2017 08:44AM

Slept out this morning and just bringing cows in now. Every single one of them wouldn't get up until I nearly drove the tractor over them and then just stood until they got a nudge of the loader.

Happy, lazy feckers.

mahoney_j · 08-08-2017 09:50AM

Mooooo wrote: »

Cows that went down in the blood gone out the road there. Hope to fcuk that's the last if it. The ones that went down in skin test had no lesions in factory

My cow was negative on blood but has lesions ,I have huge question marks over this whole tb testing lark ,is it just a nice pension scheme for vets and that section in the dept .nobody in my area on any of my land blocks down and only one cow in my herd that there was even a question
Mark over .

whelan2 · 08-08-2017 09:59AM

We were locked up for a long time years ago. Blooded . Still had reactors. Sent a cow to the factory as a cull and she was riddled with lesions. Apparently she,was immune to the both blood and tb testing.

yewtree · 08-08-2017 10:45AM

Mooooo wrote: »

Cows that went down in the blood gone out the road there. Hope to fcuk that's the last if it. The ones that went down in skin test had no lesions in factory

Best of luck with it, as said already great sign results came back with no lesions.
you would wonder about tb testing its over half the work in a lot of practices.
How much progress is been made on getting rid of it? Will there always be a certain level of tb in the country

visatorro · 08-08-2017 10:55AM

whelan2 wrote: »

We were locked up for a long time years ago. Blooded . Still had reactors. Sent a cow to the factory as a cull and she was riddled with lesions. Apparently she,was immune to the both blood and tb testing.

Heard very similar story off neighbour.

Buford T. Justice XIX · 08-08-2017 11:00AM

yewtree wrote: »

Best of luck with it, as said already great sign results came back with no lesions.
you would wonder about tb testing its over half the work in a lot of practices.
How much progress is been made on getting rid of it? Will there always be a certain level of tb in the country

Always.

Iirc, there was a report a few years ago that Bovine TB was at similar levels to human TB and there will always be some sporadic outbreaks in both populations.

You will have fairly isolated outbreaks due to individuals coming into contact with infected individuals, humans on holidays in foreign countries and cattle picking it up from badgers and deer.

Until technology changes for better detection and/or better treatments/vaccinations, we will have a risk of TB for years to come.

Dairy chit chat II

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