What is a Milking Parlor?
No longer are the days of sitting on a stool with a bucket and milking each cow by hand. The milking parlor has optimized the milking process; making it more efficient and a vital tool in keeping up with the dairy demands of the world.
So what exactly is a milking parlor? A milking parlor is a room or structure designed to mass milk a large group of cows at once.
Here is a breakdown of four types of parlors:
1. Herringbone (the kind we use):
The cattle stand at a 45-degree angle. This design offers the milker a different access point to the udder than the parallel or tandem designs, and also allows access for different types of equipment to be used.
2. Parallel:
In this design, the cows stand parallel to each other (hence the name). So, if the cows are standing side to side, that only leaves one access point for the milker to reach the udder: the back end! In parallel parlors, milking doesn’t begin until all cows are in their stalls, and they are all released from the parlor at one time.
3. Tandem:
Tandem parlor designs are not all that different from tandem bikes, in that the cows stand nose-to-tail inside individual stalls. This gives the milker a side-on vantage point of the udder. Cows can be released one at a time, too, so if one cow is moving a little slowly, all her friends don’t have to wait for her to finish.
4. Rotary:
Rotary parlors are like carousel rides for dairy cows. The milking stalls are arranged in a large circle on a platform that rotates slowly. Cows can walk in, and depending on the size of the platform, finish milking by the time they’ve completed a lap or two. Rather than the milker having to walk around the parlor to attach the milking equipment to each udder, they can stay in one place and let the cows come to them.
There is no wrong type of parlor; each dairy farm will have a different type depending on the operations program and desires. No matter which parlor design is used, the cow’s udder is always washed clean before the milking machine is attached and wholesome, nutritious, safe milk is the end result.