EQUIPMENT ▶▶▶
“We also put rubber plates on the exit area so that the cow can turn on a rubber floor; there is less stress and it is also better for the hooves,” says Schut.
traffic when cows enter the parlour from a well-designed col- lection yard, and proper lighting, which is imperative to en- sure that milking goes smoothly and the comfort needs of the milker are met. Decisions around these aspects may seem minor, but at the end of the day they count in a major way. With Covid-19 having affected so many industries around the globe during 2020, labour shortage is still a major issue. Small decisions about the parlour that affect the comfort of animals and the milker alike can make a difference when attracting a labour force. Schut adds that when thinking of comfort in the parlour, farm- ers should think of keeping a short distance from the collection yard to the milking parlour and ensuring extension of a parlour
is possible in future. Factors like how much milk cows give per milking (which influences the milking time) and whether there are any restrictions on the maximum number of cows a farmer can have in the area all come into play. He adds, “At Dairymaster we have two types of parlours where the positioning of the cows is 50 degrees or 80 degrees side by side. The biggest thing when it comes to the farmer milking the cows instead of a robotic arm doing it is that the farmer sees all the cows and it’s possible to draft them out of the milk- ing pit if something isn’t right, while continuing with the milk- ing process.” How the cows come into the parlour is a good in- dication of comfort: How do they walk in? What is the traffic capacity? How big is the collection yard? Consider a rotary, for instance. “First we look at the number of cows. We installed a few big rotaries where the cows are posi- tioned at 15 degrees on the platform so the cow can exit easi- er. We build most parlours with 80 degrees; however, with this there isn’t such a big difference in terms of cow comfort. The most important aspect is that when a cow walks off the platform, it must be able to turn easily and gently. We also put rubber plates on the exit area so that the cow can turn on a rubber floor and therefore walk off quicker. That way, there is less stress and it is also better for the hooves.”
Saving time There are ways farmers can save time in the milking parlour, including an efficient feeding system. For example, with in- dividual feeding on a rotary it is very easy to feed the cows, because you only have one dosing
system.This allows step feeding or dynamic feeding. In-parlour feeding all has to do with the feed management of the farmer and if the cows are on pasture or not. And individual feeding is a great
Proper lighting is also impera- tive to ensure that milking goes smoothly and the comfort needs of the milker are met.
20 ▶DAIRY GLOBAL | Volume 7, No. 5, 2020
PHOTO: DAIRYMASTER
PHOTO: DAIRYMASTER
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