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Kingston,Mi | Cousins had a side opening Surge set up with 3 units (their father built it in the early 50's), when they bought the herd it was at another farm and they milked in flat stanchion barn until they were ready to move home. Even with having to carry the milkers out of the stanchion barn, thru the drive floor, outside and then into the milk room, this was faster than milking in an inline 3. This was due to the fact that they could have cows prepped ahead. In a single side setup, a good portion of the time will be spent prepping and not milking. While in a 2 sided setup, you are milking on one side while prepping the other side.
I have been in a parlor where the farmer built every part of the parallel set up from scrap steel, it held 8 to a side. He equipped it with 16 used units and a low line to the receiver. This was all housed in a former 2 car garage. His milk room is next door to the garage in a added shed. Milks 70 head of cattle by himself with the use of a farmer built crowd gate outside the parlor (garaged door opener pulling a rolling gate). It is a variation of a New Zealand swing parlor but with a unit behind every cow rather than swinging from a high line at the ceiling. | |
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Milking parlor
