The Almost Perfect Parlor

Where cows, equipment, and people meet... Simple solutions for the heart of your dairy.

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Low Cost Backflush

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I had a professor in college that said, “If you want to see real invention, go to three farms within 20 miles of here and I guarantee you will see at least one example.”  He is still being proven correct.

I visited a farm a couple of weeks ago with the purpose of testing the equipment to determine if our liners were performing correctly.  I found the equipment to be operating correctly at this dairy, but the innovation my former professor talked about is shown in the couple pictures I posted here.

As milkings get longer, bedding sources get varied, and exposure levels increase, tools to help lower bacteria levels in all areas of the milking parlor are more necessary.  The ability to rinse the cluster between cows with a sanitizer solution to reduce bacteria in [Read more…]

Better Stimulation = Better Milk-Out

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As you probably already know, the milk let-down process is not as “instant” as turning lights on and off. And, nor does it just happen on its own. Cows need milkers to remain quiet and calm, help stimulate their udder, and allow them adequate time to lower their milk.

Sure, some cows walk into the parlor already dripping milk. And others seem to take forever regardless of how well you stimulate them. And although every dairy has cows at both extremes, the majority of cows need ninety seconds to two minutes to let their milk down.

So… why does it take approximately two minutes for most cows to give us their milk?

[Read more…]

Your Dairy’s Filter Socks… Clean or Dirty?

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You’ve probably heard the saying “If you can measure it, you can manage it.”, right?  Well,  it’s true.  And everyday, you manage a dairy that sells a product that gets measured before your customer picks it up.

So what should you do if your dairy isn’t selling high-quality milk?  Where do you start?  Here’s the simple answer… ipaddress pay more attention to what your milkers are doing in the parlor.

[Read more…]

Pulsation Explained

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Pulsation is likely the most basic function of milking equipment. Pulsation is the function of moving the liner wall open and closed to provide for the milking action of the milking unit.

Now let’s clear up the first couple of sentences.

When I speak about liners I am speaking about the part inside the milking shell that goes over the teat during the machine milking process. Pulsation is the action then of either vacuumizing (removing the air) or venting (refilling the air) the space between the liner and the shell. I hope no one is surprised that my first post on this site is about liner movement. The world of milking liners although filled with options is all controlled by pulsation to achieve the intended result of machine milking a cow.

There are four phases of liner movement, named in alphabetical order of A,B,C and D. The A phase of liner movement is the opening of the liner and transition to milking. During the B phase the liner is open and milking. During the C phase, the liner is closing, and during the D phase the liner is closed or resting.

All of that seems pretty cut and dried and actually is one of the things that can be quite easily verified with the proper equipment. So why [Read more…]

Parlor Capacity Table

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Parlor Capacity Table

How efficient is your parlor? Before someone tries to convince you that your parlor is currently “maxed out”, check out how many cows you should be able to milk.

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What is The Almost Perfect Parlor?

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The Almost Perfect Parlor is a site where dairy professionals find answers to the most common and challenging questions they face while trying to get cows milked correctly, consistently, and efficiently.

We originally wanted to call this blog simply “The Perfect Parlor”. But hey, we’re realistic.

When we started talking about all the details that come into play when cows, milking equipment, and people meet in the parlor, we realized that the closest anyone could get to a “perfect parlor” is “almost perfect”. But here’s the thing… we’re still crazy enough to try!

No, you can’t achieve perfection, but we’re committed to help you pursue excellence.

This blog is for anyone whose livelihood depends on healthy cows, a quality milk harvest, and productive employees… dairy herd managers, parlor managers, milkers, milking equipment technicians, and dairy veterinarians.

We’re on a mission to help make your job easier and hassle-free. We want to help you achieve The ‘Almost’ Perfect Parlor… this site is for you, welcome!