Watch: 16 unit parlour with automatic cluster removers
For the winter edition of the Irish Dairy Farmer magazine, the Irish Farmers Journal has produced a series of videos on milking parlours. See Brian Hogan’s parlour here.
The Irish Dairy Farmer magazine carried out parlour tests.
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Brian Hogan and his father Pat are milking 95 cows in partnership at the Horse and Jockey in Co Tipperary.
Up to 2009, the Hogans were milking in an old six-unit parlour which was built by Pat in the 1970s. The old six unit was demolished in 2010 and a 16-unit parlour, with space for 20 units, was built in its place, ready for the 2010 calving season. The parlour was built on the site of the old parlour with the collecting yard, pit and cow exit in more or less the same locations as before, the main difference being that the dairy is now to the left of the pit. In terms of equipment, the parlour has ACRs, a dump-line (using the parts from the old parlour) and air gates front and back.
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The Hogans have a herd of high EBI cows, mostly Holstein Friesian. This year, they are on track to produce over 500kg of milk solids from grazed grass and about 750kg of meal. At the time of our test in early September, the cows were milking 18.5 litres/day.
Brian had a steady technique throughout, no rushing and no stress, either on man or cows. At the time, cows were getting a little over 0.6kg of meal per milking from the IDS batch feeders. Zig-zag troughs were installed along with a straight rump rail. Brian says he had an option of going with a straight, single feed trough and zig-zag rump rail but went with the zig-zag troughs so each cow will be able to get her allocation without being bullied.
The Hogan’s have four, three-quarter inch high-volume water hoses dropping down along each side of the pit. These are used for washing walls/floors and the clusters. There is also one longer hose at the back for washing the rear of the parlour but most of the time Brian uses a hand scraper to push the solid muck into the slatted flow channel at the back.
To see more detail on this parlour and other parlours in the Irish Dairy Farmer parlour test you can buy the Irish Dairy Farmer magazine online or in your local newsagent for €4.99.
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Title: Watch: 16 unit parlour with automatic cluster removers
For the winter edition of the Irish Dairy Farmer magazine, the Irish Farmers Journal has produced a series of videos on milking parlours. See Brian Hogan’s parlour here.
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Brian Hogan and his father Pat are milking 95 cows in partnership at the Horse and Jockey in Co Tipperary.
Up to 2009, the Hogans were milking in an old six-unit parlour which was built by Pat in the 1970s. The old six unit was demolished in 2010 and a 16-unit parlour, with space for 20 units, was built in its place, ready for the 2010 calving season. The parlour was built on the site of the old parlour with the collecting yard, pit and cow exit in more or less the same locations as before, the main difference being that the dairy is now to the left of the pit. In terms of equipment, the parlour has ACRs, a dump-line (using the parts from the old parlour) and air gates front and back.
The Hogans have a herd of high EBI cows, mostly Holstein Friesian. This year, they are on track to produce over 500kg of milk solids from grazed grass and about 750kg of meal. At the time of our test in early September, the cows were milking 18.5 litres/day.
Brian had a steady technique throughout, no rushing and no stress, either on man or cows. At the time, cows were getting a little over 0.6kg of meal per milking from the IDS batch feeders. Zig-zag troughs were installed along with a straight rump rail. Brian says he had an option of going with a straight, single feed trough and zig-zag rump rail but went with the zig-zag troughs so each cow will be able to get her allocation without being bullied.
The Hogan’s have four, three-quarter inch high-volume water hoses dropping down along each side of the pit. These are used for washing walls/floors and the clusters. There is also one longer hose at the back for washing the rear of the parlour but most of the time Brian uses a hand scraper to push the solid muck into the slatted flow channel at the back.
To see more detail on this parlour and other parlours in the Irish Dairy Farmer parlour test you can buy the Irish Dairy Farmer magazine online or in your local newsagent for €4.99.
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