E-Z Parlor

The average Upper Midwest dairy producer milks about 50 cows in a traditional stall barn. Changes in life style expectations, financial pressures related to transfer of the farm to the next generation, and the inefficient use of labor in stall barns has caused many producers to consider converting to freestall and parlor systems. However, even the most profitable dairy producers in the region are finding it difficult to expand the herd, build a new freestall barn and milking center, and add a modern waste handling system all at once.

In many cases, converting the existing stall barn into a flat parlor milking center can be an effective cost reduction strategy to allow the dairy farm family to make the transition to free stall and parlor system. Flat parlors also provide an effective and low cost milking system for dairy farm families that are either not interested or unable to make a large scale expansion to 200 cows or more. Common factors that can limit dairy herd sizes are: insufficient cropland for manure application, lack of labor, or close proximity to urban areas.

John P. Chastain, Assistant Professor, Department of Biosytems and Agricultural Engineering, University of Minnesota and Douglas J. Reinemann, Department of Agricultural Engineering, University of Wisconsin. ASAE Paper No. 953497.

• The cow exits through the front of the stall.
• Can be modified to your installation.
• A single gate which opens to direct the cow in the direction you want her to exit. She cannot turn against the flow.
• Available with air operated gate closure (stainless steel air cylinder rated at over 3-million strokes).
• Nothing in front of cow to step over.
• Nothing for the cow to push out of her way to exit.
• Flexible installation options in existing barns where cows enter and exit from the same or opposite end of the barn.
• System fits well into existing flat barn without large capital investments.
• Cows come to the operator eliminating movement of operator and equipment to cows.
• Custom manufactured to fit you barn with flexible cow flow patterns.
• Works well with many brands of milking equipment. Especially we adapted for automatic milker take-offs and cow tracking computer systems.