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3/11/2013

DAIRY SYSTEM DESIGN:


MILKING CENTER LAYOUT
& COMPONENTS

John T. Tyson, P.E.


Extension Educator Agricultural Engineering

Dan F. McFarland, M.S.


Extension Educator Agricultural Engineering

Technology Tuesday Webinar Series

Milking Center Design


Design, Construction & Installation a TEAM effort
Owner & key employees
Milking equipment dealer / installer
Plumber
Electrician
Builder
Tour, tour,
Excavator
Engineer
Others?

Milking Center

Holding Area
Milking parlor
Milk cooling & storage
Equipment & utility area(s)
Supply & chemical storage area(s)
Office & conference area(s)
Employee lounge & lockers area(s)
Restroom / shower

Quality work comes from a


quality place of work.
-R.E. Graves, 1992

tour

Elevated (Pit) Milking Parlors


Safe, comfortable environment for operator
Udder access from upright posture
Cows move to milking area
Convenient equipment access
Stall structure separates cows from operator

Sizing the Milking Parlor


How many milking cows?
Number of groups? Group size?

Milking frequency per day?


2X, 3X, 4X, 6X per day?

Total hours of operation


Per milking? Per day?

Future expansion?
Larger building & add stalls later?
Second parlor?

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Sizing the Milking Parlor

Sizing the Milking Parlor


Degree of automation?

Who will be milking?


Self? Hired labor? Full-time? Part-time?
Skill level?

How many will be milking?


Per milking? Per day?

What milking procedure?


Grouping? Sequential? Territorial?

Detachers?
Power gates?
Auto ID?
Production monitoring?
Activity monitoring?
Sorting?
Convenience typically comes with a cost

Sizing the Milking Parlor

Typical Elevated Parlor Arrangements

How will performance be monitored?


Parlor? Office?

How & where will cows be sorted for individual care?


Side Opening

Source: Reinemann, 2003

Typical Elevated Parlor Arrangements

Typical Elevated Parlor Arrangements

Parallel

Herringbone

Source: Reinemann, 2003

Source: Reinemann, 2003

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Typical Elevated Parlor Arrangements

Parabone / 70 degree

Typical Elevated Parlor Arrangements

Rotary Parlor

www.gea-farmtechnologies.com

Udder Access in Various Arrangements

Measures of Performance
Cows per hour (CPH)
Cows per hour per person

Side

Pounds of milk per hour

Parallel

Side opening

Side / Rear

Rear

Pounds of milk per person per hour


Rear

Operators Area

Typical Elevated Parlor Arrangements

Parlor Turns per Hour


Time per Turn
8 min
10 min
12 min
13.3 min
15 min
17.1 min
20 min

Turns per Hour


7.5
6.0
5.0
4.5
4.0
3.5
3.0

100 s
129 s
Low line with milking unit at each stall

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Parlor Turns per Hour

Typical Elevated Parlor Arrangements

(Milking Units = Milking Stalls)


TPH

Dbl-8

5.0

80

100

120

160

200

240

400

4.5

72

90

108

144

180

216

360

4.0

64

80

96

128

160

196

320

3.5

56

70

84

112

140

168

280

3.0

48

60

72

96

120

144

240

Dbl-10 Dbl-12 Dbl-16 Dbl-20 Dbl-24 Dbl-40

Swing Parlors
Milking units shared between sides

Parlor Turns per Hour

Factors that Affect Parlor Performance

(Milking Units = Milking Stalls)

Cow entry
Udder preparation

TPH

Dbl-8

6.0

48

60

72

96

120

144

240

Machine attachment

5.0

40

50

60

80

100

120

200

Machine on time

4.0

32

40

48

64

80

96

160

Machine detachment

3.0

24

30

36

48

60

72

120

Post - milking treatment

Dbl-10 Dbl-12 Dbl-16 Dbl-20 Dbl-24 Dbl-40

Cow exit

Speed or Quality?
Speed
Quality

Proper training & yard design can


increase milking parlor though-put
with little or no additional cost.

Albright et. al, 1992

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Cow Movement

Archived Webinar

Grouping
Traffic lanes
Holding area
Holding area / parlor transition
Cow platform
Exit options
Return lanes
Sorting & isolation

October 9, 2012
http://extension.psu.edu/animals/dairy/health/educational-programs/technology/archived-webinars

Grouping
Production

Group size
Start with parlor capacity

Age
Speed of milking

2X milking
3X milking
4X milking

60 minutes per group


40 minutes per group
30 minutes per group

Breed
Special cows
Identification
Keep time away from housing area less than 3 hrs/day

Group size
Multiple of stall row

Group size
Multiple of stall row
Not a concern with side opening or rotary parlors

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Group Movement
Move entire group at once

Group Movement
Move groups independently

Group Movement
Keep traffic patterns simple

Given the opportunity, a cow will


usually go the wrong way
- R.E. Graves, 1983

Traffic Lanes
Adequate lane width

Traffic Lanes
Confident footing

12 to 16 for groups < 150 cows


20 for groups > 150 cows

Grooved Pattern

Resilient Flooring

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Traffic Lanes
Less than 6% slope in direction of cow flow
Level across width

Traffic Lanes
Covered for shade & weather protection
Can block air flow

Holding Area

Holding Area
Adequate space per cow
12 to 15 ft2 per cow

Accommodate group + 25%


allows continuous milking
overpopulation

Holding Area
18 to 40 ft wide
long & narrow
length to width ratio - 2.5 : 1

Slope 3 to 5% away from parlor


easier cleaning
encourage cows to face parlor

Non-skid floor surface

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Holding Area
Resilient flooring

Crowd Gate
Encourages voluntary MP entrance

92% of cows remain stationary or


relatively motionless in the holding area.
-Albright et. al, 1992

Crowd Gate
Avoid electrified crowd gates
Avoid bulldozers

Lighting
Illumination level
10 ft-candles or more
progressively brighter

Avoid shadows

HA / MP Transition
Smooth flow from HA to MP

HA / MP Transition
Wall or no wall?

< 45o turns


8 12 long
Entrance lane 32-36 clear

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Rotary Parlors

Rotary Parlors

HA / MP Transition - Rotary
Entrance lane
8 to 12 long
32 to 36 clear

Cow Platform
Entrance lane width

Cow Platform
Confident footing

32-36 clear preferred


avoid sharp edges

Keep grates out of footpath


Confident footing

Grit

Resilient

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Cow Platform

Standard Exit

Equipotential plane

Standard Exit

Rapid Exit

Turning lanes
52 to 65 clear

Straight lanes
32 to 36 clear

Double exit lanes


Stall rows > 6 stalls

Rapid Exit

Rapid Exit

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Rapid Exit

Rapid Exit

Rapid Exit Area Width

Milking Center Traffic Patterns

Up to 12 stalls 8
13 to 24 stalls 10
25 to 39 stalls 12
40 stalls or more 14 minimum

Milking Center Traffic Patterns


Single return

Double return

Milking Center Traffic Patterns


Single return to side

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Exit Area - Rotary

Exit Area - Rotary


Step off & turn area
10 minimum

Return Lane
Guides cows from milking parlor to traffic lane
Straight lanes
32 to 36 clear

Turning areas
52 to 65 clear

One-way gate at lane exit

Footbaths

Return Lane
Wider return lane if:
Cows are sorted elsewhere
Mechanical cleaning

Straight lanes
72 clear

Turning areas
8 10 clear

Footbath

Solution bath
8 to 10 long
3 or wide width
6 to 8 high sides
Solution depth 4 to 5

Clean water pre-bath


Similar size
3 to 6 ahead
Image courtesy: F. W. Sutton Key - Zinpro

Easy to Clean

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Sorting Lane
Separate individuals from group
manual or automatic gate
short-term holding

Sorting Lane
Adjacent to return lane
cows in single file
32 to 36 clear
head gate?

Management Rail Next to Return Lane

Management Rail Next to Return Lane

Short-Term Treatment

Short-Term Treatment

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Isolation Pens

Short-Term Treatment

Palpation Rail

Traffic Lane
Return Lane

Work Lane

Cow Lane

Cow Movement

Grouping
Traffic lanes
Holding area
Holding area / parlor transition
Cow platform
Exit options
Return lanes
Sorting & isolation

Creating a Comfortable Environment

Cow Movement
Operator Movement
Cow Comfort
Operator Comfort
Operator Convenience
Milk quality is driven by attitude.
- D. Reid, 2013

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Operator Movement
Operators should move around milking
center with relative ease

Operator Pit Access


Breezeway

Operator pit level

Holding Area Access

Cow Platform level

Holding Area Access


Ramp

Steps
Consistent rise & run (12run: 7 run)
Non-skid surface
handrails

Cow Platform Access


Ladders

No more than 28 rise in 10 run


Non-skid surface

Operator Movement
Personnel lanes

Non-skid treads
handrails

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Operator Convenience

Operator Movement
Pass-throughs

Udder availability
29% - 50% operators time involved with activities of
the udder

Udder observation
Udder preparation
Machine attachment
Machine inspection
Machine detachment
Teat dipping

Source: H.W. Vos, 1974

Operator Pit Depth


Optimum work area between the shoulder & elbow
Approximately 12

Operator Pit Depth


Herringbone milking parlors
Pit depth: 36 40

5-10 operator with shoes


Pit depth: 35 39

Source: H.W. Vos, 1974

Operator Pit Depth


Parallel milking parlors

Operator Pit Depth


Consider actual operator height

Pit depth: 38 42

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Cow Platform
Parallel

Operator Pit Width


Typically 6 8

3 5 away from operator pit

Operator Pit Width


Basements

Operator Pit Width


Typically 6 8

Remove clutter from operators pit

Swing parlors

Operator Pit Floor


Crown center of operator pit floor
per foot

Narrow gutter along pit wall

Operator Pit Floor


Resilient flooring
Non-skid surface
Well-drained

Drain at end of pit

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Automation
Power entrance & exit gates

Automation
Indexing

Automation
Automatic detachers

Automation

Cow identification
Parlor entrance
Parlor stalls
Sorting area

Additional Convenience Items

Cow Comfort

Warm water hoses

Ventilation

Clean towel containers

Cooling

Dirty towel containers

Lighting

Sink with hot/cold water near operator area

Flooring

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Holding Area Ventilation

Holding Area Ventilation


Sidewall height
12 to 16 eave height

Variable animal density

Holding Area Ventilation


Adjustable sidewall opening

Holding Area Ventilation


Ridge opening
2 3 per 10 building width
12 minimum
Adjustable?

Holding Area Ventilation


Tunnel Ventilation
4 to 6 mph

Holding Area Cooling


Insulation
Reduces solar heat gain

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Holding Area Cooling


Circulation Fans

Holding Area Cooling


Circulation Fans

6 12 o.c. across holding area width


8 - 10 times fan diameter along length

Source: Harner III, J.P., et al., 2000. Reducing heat stress in the holding area pens, MF2468. KSU AES & CES.

Holding Area Cooling


Circulation Fans

Holding Area Cooling


Evaporative Cooling
Intermittent spray cooling

Source: Harner III, J.P., et al., 2000. Reducing heat stress in the holding area pens, MF2468. KSU AES & CES.

Holding Area Cooling


Evaporative Cooling
Intermittent spray cooling

Holding Area Cooling


Return Lane Shower

Source: Harner III, J.P., et al., 2000. Reducing heat stress in the holding area pens, MF2468. KSU AES & CES.

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Operator Comfort
Ventilation
Heating & cooling
Lighting
Flooring

Milking Parlor Ventilation


Moisture & pollutants produced by cows
Moisture from cleaning

Milking Parlor Ventilation


Plan ahead

Milking Parlor Ventilation


Cows spend minutes
Operators spend hours
Equipment spends a lifetime

Milking Parlor Ventilation


Plan ahead

Milking Parlor Ventilation


Take advantage of building volume
10+ sidewall height

Air exchange with seasonal adjustment


100 cfm to 1,000 cfm per milking stall

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Milking Parlor Ventilation

Natural Ventilation Stack

Natural ventilation
Mechanical ventilation
Combination

Milking Parlor Ventilation


Natural ventilation

Milking Parlor Ventilation


Natural ventilation

Milking Parlor Ventilation


Natural ventilation

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Power Exhaust Ventilation Stack

Milking Parlor Ventilation


Power exhaust stacks

Power Pressure Ventilation Stack

Fan runs at high speed directing air to operators pit

Power Pressure Ventilation Stack

Fan runs at low speed directing air along ceiling

Milking Parlor Ventilation


Automatic control
Moisture, pollutant & temperature control

Manual timer override


Moisture removal after clean-up

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Milking Parlor Ventilation


Ventilate the basement too!

Milking Parlor Heating


Isolate the parlor from the holding area when not in use

Milking Parlor Heating


Radiant floor heat

Milking Parlor Ventilation


Circulation fans

Milking Parlor Heating


Focus on the operators area

Milking Parlor Heating


Forced warm / hot air to operators pit

Operators pit & breezeway

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Milking Parlor Heating

Milking Parlor Heating

Overhead radiant heater above operators pit

Space heaters
Aim toward operators area

Milking Parlor Lighting

Milking Parlor Lighting

Recommended illumination level

Typical light fixtures

50 ft-candles at udder level


20 ft-candles in other areas

Fluorescent
LED

agsolutionsplus.com

Source: ASAE, 1997

Cleaning
Flush

Cleaning
Scrape & spray

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Cleaning
Cow platform & equipment

Cleaning
Conveniently located hose bibs & reels

Cleaning
Boot wash stations

Milking Center

Holding Area
Milking parlor
Milk cooling & storage
Equipment & utility area(s)
Supply & chemical storage area(s)
Office & conference area(s)
Employee lounge & lockers area(s)
Restroom / shower

Penn State is committed to affirmative action,


equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.

Quality work comes from a


quality place of work.
-R.E. Graves, 1992

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