Olympia Dairy Barn Systems and Styles

Herringbone Milking Parlor Design: The herringbone milking parlor design is one of the most popular types of parlors. In this type of design, the cows enter and stand next to each other, facing away from the milking operator's pit at an angle. The herringbone parlors are located on the end of a rectangular holding area allowing cows to enter single file directly into either side of the parlor. On completion of milking, rapid exit design allows all cows to exit at once past the holding area, expediting the milking process.
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Parallel Milking Parlor Design: Parallel milking parlors are similar to herringbone milking parlors in design except that in the parallel milking parlor design cows stand perpendicular to the milking operator pit rather than at an angle, and the cows are milked from the rear between the cow's hind legs rather than from the side. The cow platform is wider than in a herringbone parlor to accommodate the length of the cow. The advantage of the parallel parlor design is that the cows stand closer together so the walking distance for the milkers is shorter than in a herringbone parlor design. The disadvantage is that cows must be milked from behind, so the tail will often be in the way, and it may be a long reach to the cow's teats for some milkers.
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Rotary or Carousel Milking Parlor Design: Rotary parlors are gaining in popularity for large dairy farms with herds in excess of 1,000 cows. With the rotary milking parlor design, the platform on which the cows stand moves around like a carousel while the cleaners and milkers stand in one location. The rotary carousel milking parlor design is advantageous because of its high efficiency. Since cow movement functions are largely automated, one operator can run the entire milking operation from the same position while the cows come by quickly, and enter and exit at a constant rate with no break between cows.
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