Dairy Chitchat 4, an udder new thread.

Mooooo

Haven't seen a a parlour with jars in a long time. 14 unit here with feeders the only extra. Should have put in acrs. In peak milk with cows at grass fulltime no issue but in spring having to deal with a cow/ heifer or even this time of year when there may be more prep in terms of cleaning cows etc they'd take a lot of pressure off. Not a mind if ya need to leg it to the jacks!

Grueller

12 units with cashman feeders the only extra. Not sure that I would splash out on acr's but I would love milk meters.

straight

I can't understand why someone would not have jars in their parlour. Salesmen and service guys always tell me there's nobody putting in jars now. I always ask why and nobody can answer me. My service guy said the big guys can't have jars because they slow them down too much when they're running around the pit. That's the only answer I've ever got.

Timmaay

straight wrote: »

I can't understand why someone would not have jars in their parlour. Salesmen and service guys always tell me there's nobody putting in jars now. I always ask why and nobody can answer me. My service guy said the big guys can't have jars because they slow them down too much when they're running around the pit. That's the only answer I've ever got.

Extra cost of them, huge amount of wasted vacuum, slow down milking if you can't milk through, harder to wash and harder to keep hot water warm, they break all the time. They were a useful solution at the time (aka 50years ago to let liquid milk lads know yields), but nowadays just get a milk indicator if you really need to know yields.

straight

Timmaay wrote: »

Extra cost of them, huge amount of wasted vacuum, slow down milking if you can't milk through, harder to wash and harder to keep hot water warm, they break all the time. They were a useful solution at the time (aka 50years ago to let liquid milk lads know yields), but nowadays just get a milk indicator if you really need to know yields.

They're still a very useful solution, just out of fashion at the moment. My grandfather put in our first parlour (must have been the 60's) and it's still going. Original jars are still there and we never broke one. We've two other parlours with jars and never broke them either. Handy for seeing sick cows, cows in heat, dumping milk, etc. Milking cows is not a race here, I actually enjoy seeing the milk emptying in the jar. I strip cows all the time so milk is gone by the time I have her prepped.

tismesoitis

Fully agree with straight. Can't beat the jars! Have 14 unit with acrs and jars. Great in spring when lots of fresh cows. Can hold and dump as many as you like and no running for a dump bucket. Love being able to see what cows are giving and can milk through the jars so doesn't slow things down. Certainly wouldnt change.

raindodger

went from 8 unit with jars to 14 with acrs and indicators
wouldnt go back pit so easy to walk around didnt even put in drop hoses only teat sprayers use volume washer if needed.
dump bucket only pain in the a..
tell everyone wouldnt milk cows without acrs again gives you great flexibility

GrasstoMilk

raindodger wrote: »

went from 8 unit with jars to 14 with acrs and indicators
wouldnt go back pit so easy to walk around didnt even put in drop hoses only teat sprayers use volume washer if needed.
dump bucket only pain in the a..
tell everyone wouldnt milk cows without acrs again gives you great flexibility

Have acrs going in here over winter, should make milking a good bit more relaxed I think

whelan2

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Have acrs going in here over winter, should make milking a good bit more relaxed I think

How many units have you?

GrasstoMilk

whelan2 wrote: »

How many units have you?

12 going to 20

liosnagceann75

Is there a shortage of dry cows tubes in places? Vet rang me today to tell me to pick them up immediately as there is a supply problem

whelan2

Waiting on young lad to sort out green cert and a partnership before building our parlour. Pain in the hole when waiting on people to confirm things. Will probably go for 24 units

Say my name

liosnagceann75 wrote: »

Is there a shortage of dry cows tubes in places? Vet rang me today to tell me to pick them up immediately as there is a supply problem

Heard the same today.

Apparently it's just the same type and quantity going to vets as last year.
First come first served.

dar31

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

12 going to 20

24 here lat 4 years now, and considering going to 30 units for one person milking.
everything set out for 36 units, but would only add 6 more up to 30.
good idea or just kidding my self.
been thinking of it for a while, then over the peroid of a few months two different milkers said to me, "we could manage a few more, seen as everything else is there"

GrasstoMilk

dar31 wrote: »

24 here lat 4 years now, and considering going to 30 units for one person milking.
everything set out for 36 units, but would only add 6 more up to 30.
good idea or just kidding my self.
been thinking of it for a while, then over the peroid of a few months two different milkers said to me, "we could manage a few more, seen as everything else is there"

I've never milked on in a 30 unit so I can't really say but if you and your milkers think they can manage 30 outside calving then I'd fire ahead
Removers would take the pressure off no doubt

We're leaving room for 2 more units
Cant see us needing it for a long time ( if ever ) but at least the option is there
This will be as much as we can fit in with the way the yard is set up now
I'd push 12 rows through it if it ever came to it but its not something I see happing in the immediate future tbh
8 rows will have our area around parlour well stocked

RightTurnClyde

dar31 wrote: »

24 here lat 4 years now, and considering going to 30 units for one person milking.
everything set out for 36 units, but would only add 6 more up to 30.
good idea or just kidding my self.
been thinking of it for a while, then over the peroid of a few months two different milkers said to me, "we could manage a few more, seen as everything else is there"

At 18 here (with all the bits and bobs) and had all the plans in place to go to 30, tams approved and ready to roll. Few.people I talked to have put me off. Going for 20 doubled up instead. Have been told its better for 1 man milking. ( and much simpler cheaper job to do)

degetme

RightTurnClyde wrote: »

At 18 here (with all the bits and bobs) and had all the plans in place to go to 30, tams approved and ready to roll. Few.people I talked to have put me off. Going for 20 doubled up instead. Have been told its better for 1 man milking. ( and much simpler cheaper job to do)

I moved this year from a 6 unit to 18unit and it's a pleasure to milk in. No stress. I moved into new parlour at start of September. In peak milk I might be hanging around alright for a bit but ill have other things to do while milking

Mooooo

Anything above 24 units and double ups strike me as 2 person parlours to have any bit of efficiency. I assumed a large double up of 20 aside would need the rapid exit type stalls to get thru cows faster than a 24 unit? Perhaps I'm wrong never milked in one.
A lad down here was looking at robots for 180 or thereabouts cows and after pricing around he then milked in a few rotaries, and stuck in a 40 unit rotary instead. Didn't mind milking cows just didn't want to racing up and down pits and spending too much time in the parlour and the price of robots wasnt far off the rotary cost so he went with it.
If you put the time spent milking into the equation and what you could save with a rotary it may make them viable. On herds of 250 plus I'd say they would be the thing to work towards anyway and if around the 200 mark and the last piece of the jigsaw was the parlour and its with-in ones means I'd say they would be a good option as well. The hour or 2 saved a day multiplied up over 15/ 20 years would add up.
Although have seen a few places where instead of a long herringbone or a rotary they put in 2 20 unit parlours alongside each other being fed by the one yard. They were always going to have 2 milking with the numbers they have so works well as well as having they advantage of if one breaks down or cant milk the other can keep going.

kevthegaff

I'd imagine with a 20 double up, you could be putting on the other side while the other side were leaving

GrasstoMilk

kevthegaff wrote: »

I'd imagine with a 20 double up, you could be putting on the other side while the other side were leaving

But is it not very inefficient with regards to clusters that are actually milking
With a herringbone each cluster is milking about 90% of the time during milking, a double up even with rapid exit wouldn't be near that

With regards to rotary I wouldn't consider one unless going over 300 cows, 24 unit parlour would do 300 cows
You wouldn't get a 44 bale rotary for any less than 400k, that's an awful lot of money

K.G.

Is there awful lot of washing with a rotary, one thing with a herringbone is they are fast enough to wash.while we are on parlour talk,how fast are rapid exit parlours as you cant let a cow out until the last one is finished.these days i open the gate at cow 5 or 6 so sometimes i barely get spray the last of the cows and the next line are following them through

mahoney_j

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

But is it not very inefficient with regards to clusters that are actually milking
With a herringbone each cluster is milking about 90% of the time during milking, a double up even with rapid exit wouldn't be near that

With regards to rotary I wouldn't consider one unless going over 300 cows, 24 unit parlour would do 300 cows
You wouldn't get a 44 bale rotary for any less than 400k, that's an awful lot of money

300 cows thru 24 unit is 12.5 rows not sustainable Long term .if heading for 300 I’d def go rotary shur the money is there tegasc keep telling everyone we’re loaded and making buckets of money !!!8/10 rows max in herringbone is loads cows standing too long otherwise

mahoney_j

kevthegaff wrote: »

I'd imagine with a 20 double up, you could be putting on the other side while the other side were leaving

Bill o Kefe put in a double up this year rather than rotary with well over 400 I think .saved a lot of money interesting to see how it goes

Mooooo

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

But is it not very inefficient with regards to clusters that are actually milking
With a herringbone each cluster is milking about 90% of the time during milking, a double up even with rapid exit wouldn't be near that

With regards to rotary I wouldn't consider one unless going over 300 cows, 24 unit parlour would do 300 cows
You wouldn't get a 44 bale rotary for any less than 400k, that's an awful lot of money

5k a unit seems to be a figure around with enough to make a one man parlour. Retention, feeding, acrs and teat spraying. The construction costs can creep same as a lot of projects. A fella in laois, I think, put in a Waikato rotary for reasonable money i think. Was at a place where they did the building work themselves for one but he did say it wouldn't be for a the faint hearted, and would have prob got a crew in in hindsight.
All depends on each places scenario. Obviously tying big money into something like that can restrict on any opportunities that could come up as well

straight

I don't know why anyone would milk 200 cows or more. It's hardly for the money. I can't see myself going over 100. Is there any of ye feeding beet to yer cows these days to get the last few weeks of milk out of them. Mine are gone down to 12 litres on 4 kg nuts and baled silage

RightTurnClyde

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

But is it not very inefficient with regards to clusters that are actually milking
With a herringbone each cluster is milking about 90% of the time during milking, a double up even with rapid exit wouldn't be near that

With regards to rotary I wouldn't consider one unless going over 300 cows, 24 unit parlour would do 300 cows
You wouldn't get a 44 bale rotary for any less than 400k, that's an awful lot of money

The milkers time is worth alot more than the clusters time. The parlour should be waiting for you and not the other way around. That what makes the rotary work so well, you have cows coming into you as fast as you can put on clusters. A rotary is at its most efficient when there's about 25% of the clusters waiting to be attached. But a rotary would mean a large 6 figure sum as opposed to a low 5 figure sum.
Atm from april to sept im spending too much time waiting for clusters.
I don't think you have clusters removers but with them especially on higher yielders you spend alot of time walking for free clusters.Doubling up for me does away with walking up and down the pit to find waiting clusters. And I still have good entry and exit speeds

Grueller

straight wrote: »

I don't know why anyone would milk 200 cows or more. It's hardly for the money. I can't see myself going over 100. Is there any of ye feeding beet to yer cows these days to get the last few weeks of milk out of them. Mine are gone down to 12 litres on 4 kg nuts and baled silage

Absolutely straight. My aim long term is up to 98 cows (7 rows of 14) and pack in the day job. That many cows is enough work for one man and if that cannot provide a living we should all have a long hard look at what we are doing and where we are headed.

RightTurnClyde

mahoney_j wrote: »

Bill o Kefe put in a double up this year rather than rotary with well over 400 I think .saved a lot of money interesting to see how it goes

I thought that was a very savi investment. I'm guessing about 160k vs over 500k.

Panch18

RightTurnClyde wrote: »

I thought that was a very savi investment. I'm guessing about 160k vs over 500k.

How many units parlour had he to double up??

Panch18

Great discussion on the parlours by the way

Have 10 rows of 14 here. Can’t make it longer so maybe double up is way forward

Just on the efficiency of double up, I wouldn’t be bothered if the units were waiting, it’s about keeping the Milker moving to get the total job done as fast as possible. If that means units not milking some of the time it wouldn’t bother me in the slightest