A3567 Flat-Barn Milking Systems

A3567

Flat-Barn
Milking Systems

by Douglas J. Reinemann, H. Kenneth Bolton and Brian J. Holmes

Flat-barn milking facilities can be a The cost of stall barn to flat-barn Walk-through stalls allow the
good choice for dairies making the renovation can be as low as $1,000 per cow to proceed directly forward after
transition from milking in a stall barn to milking unit if existing stalls and milking is complete. Cows are typically
milking in an elevated parlor. milking equipment are used. The cost handled individually. One milking unit
could be as high as $3,000 per milking may be provided for each stall. The
Flat-barns resemble traditional unit if major stall renovations and new number of cows milked per person-
stanchion or tiestall barns with milking equipment are required. hour is similar for well managed back-
permanently mounted milking out and walk-through stalls.
equipment and fewer milking stalls. In The cost of a milking parlor would
a flat-barn, the cows move to the range from five to ten times this Entrance gate
milking unit rather than the milking amount. The expected useful life of the
unit moving to the cows. flat-barn and the cost of building a new Holding area
milking parlor should be considered
The flat-barn system requires more when deciding whether or not to 15 sq. ft. per cow
labor than a well designed milking undertake a flat-barn renovation.
parlor. For example, the milker must
stoop to prepare cows and attach Design and planning
milking units in a flat-barn. Handling considerations for a stall-barn to flat-
cows is also slower and requires more barn renovation are presented here.
effort than in a milking parlor. These designs emphasize minimal
modifications to and investment in
Flat-barn milking facilities offer existing barns.
advantages over other transition
strategies such as switching groups of Basic Components
cows into a stall barn. Automatic unit
detachers adapt easily to flat-barn The two basic flat-barn stall
systems, thus reducing milking labor. configurations are illustrated in
Less over-milking and increased Figure 1. Back-out stalls are similar
milking consistency are other benefits to tiestalls or stanchions as cows must
of using automatic unit detachers. A back up to exit the stall. Cows are
holding area and crowd gate can make usually handled in groups corre-
moving cows easier. sponding to half the number of milking
stalls on each side of the barn. One
Flat-barns are not commonly built milking unit usually serves two milking
as new facilities. An existing stall barn stalls. Back-out stalls are easily adapted
can be renovated to create a flat-barn to an existing stall barn.
milking system to gain some labor
savings.

Figure 1. Basic flat-barn stall ¬ Typical back-out stall ¬ Crowd gate
configurations. arrangement
Typical walk-through
stall arrangement

Holding area

15 sq. ft. per cow

Exit Entrance Crowd
gate gate gate

Milking units

Original Renovation

Leave space between cows for ¬ 4 ft.¬ ¬ 4 ft.¬ 3 ft.¬ ¬ 3 ft.
mounting equipment and for the
milker. This space may be created by 2 ft.
reducing the width of existing stalls.
Support posts located in the middle or detacher
rear of the cow platform can present
obstacles to resizing stalls. Retaining Figure 2. Renovation of existing stalls.
existing stall-to-stall spacing will result
in minimal renovation and cost (see Milking units should remain The Milking Machine Manufacturers
Figure 2.) Also, be sure to protect stationary during milking to gain the Council recommendations for milk line
equipment from damage by cows. full benefit of the flat-barn system. The and vacuum pump size are given in
milking units should be removed and Table 1.
Table 1. Milking Machine cleaned in the milkroom after milking.
Manufacturers Council A clean-in-place system may be Automation
Recommendations installed, but adds considerable
expense. Flat-barn automation may include
Minimum sizes for main automatic unit detachers, powered
vacuum supply pipelines Re-route existing milk lines when a entrance and exit gates and a powered
round-the-barn pipeline is renovated. crowd gate.
Number of units Pipe size The milk line should not run through
the holding area or confine-ment pens Rope or chain type detachers are
1-10 2.0" to avoid damage from cows. Locate more common than arm type units in
milking stalls near the milk-house to flat-barns. Mount rope type detachers
11-13 2.5" reduce the length of pipeline. as close to the udder as possible to
minimize the pull distance. Excessive
14 or more 3.0" A low level milk pipeline will pull distance increases the chance of
improve vacuum stability during milking units hitting the floor as they
Minimum sizes for Pipe size milking. Disadvantages of a low level are being removed.
vacuum pulsator line 2.0" milk line include blocked aisles and the
3.0" additional expense of a low line Portable unit detachers designed
Number of units receiver group. for use in round-the-barn pipelines
systems are well suited for flat-barn
1-14 Existing pipeline equipment may applications. The detacher and milking
be used if the pipe diameter and unit remain mounted during milking.
15 or more vacuum pump capacity are large After milking they are transported to
enough for the number of milking units. the milkroom for cleaning. One method
Milkline sizing Milking Equipment installed in a flat-barn may of mounting detachers is shown in
Maximum number of pipeline size also be used in a future milking parlor. Figure 3.
milker units per slope
4 2.0"
6 2.5"
9 3.0"

Minimum CFM requirements
for pipeline milking systems

ASME

Component standard cfm

Milking unit with pulsator 6

Milk meter 1 Figure 3. One method of mounting detachers.

Couplings, per 20 1

Milk inlet valves, per 10 1

Vacuum controller, each 3

Weigh jars 1

Receiver group & milk pump 0

Note 1: The 50% reserve capacity recommended Stanchion Detacher Stanchion
is included in the table above.
¬
Note 2: Minimum required for any system ¬
(based on 15” Hg) is 35 cfm. ¬

Milking stall Work area Milking stall

Keep the milking stalls as simple as Holding Area and Pens crowd gate is to reduce the size of the
possible. If stanchions are used, group holding area as cows are milked. A
locking and release mechanisms to Aholding area with crowd gate is a crowd gate acting as a “cow-zapper” or
correspond with movement of cows. major advantage of the flat-barn “snowplow” is not being managed
Entrance and exit gates and walk- system. It will pay for itself quickly in properly. The chance for misuse of an
through stall fronts can be controlled reduced labor and frustration. To electrified crowd gate should be
manually or with pneumatic cylinders. calculate the minimum size of the considered when planning the facility
Pneumatically powered gates will reduce holding area, multiply the estimated and the type of milking labor to be
labor but are more costly. A typical cows milked per hour by 15 to obtain employed.
powered gate is shown in Figure 4. square footage. A milking area and
holding area will fit in most barns with Feeding in the milking area is not
Size room left for confinement pens. recommended. Such feeding adds an
extra cleaning chore and may
The number of milking units and Barn support poles can present discourage cows from leaving the
milking stalls depends on the number major obstacles to installing a crowd milking area. If rapid cow movement is
of milkers employed during milking gate. Adding more support beams can your goal, a well-managed holding pen
and the degree of automation. One increase the length of the clear span, but and crowd gate is far more efficient
milker will be fully occupied with three may boost the cost of the remodeling than putting feed in the milking area.
to four milking units in an project. The crowd gate can be
unautomated flat-barn. Automatic constructed in multiple sections to
detachers and powered crowd, entrance accommodate existing pole spacing.
and exit gates will permit one milker to The holding pen and crowd gate may
operate six to eight units. Double these also be located outside the barn.
figures if two people are milking.
Expect throughput in the range of 25 to Electrified crowd gates operate
35 cows per person, per hour for an with hanging wires attached to a cow
unautomated flat barn. A well- trainer controller, thus “encouraging”
managed, fully automated flat-barn can cows to move. Electrified gates are less
achieve milking rates of 40 to 50 cows expensive than pusher gates which rely
per person, per hour. on mechanical force and a moving gate
to encourage the cows. The purpose of a

Pneumatic actuator

¬

Figure 4. Typical powered entry or exit gate.

Cow Traffic Cows may enter and exit the barn holding area with a solid wall. House
through the ends of the building or animals of like age together and
Minimizing the number of corners through a side wall. The milking herd provide mechanical ventilation in the
for cows to turn maximizes the can enter and exit through the same confinement area.
door if a holding area and inside return
speed at which cows move. Cow move- lane exist. Narrow barns may not With walk-through stalls, cows are
permit a return alley inside the barn. generally released and reloaded
ment also proceeds more smoothly if Entrance and exit locations will also individually. With back-out stalls, you
depend on site constraints. can get maximum throughput by
waiting cows can see into the milking releasing alternate cows on one side of
Provide a method of diverting the barn as a group. (See Figure 1).
area from the holding pen. Cow traffic animals into the confinement area as
they leave the milking area. Avoid Milkhouse
alleys should be a minimum of three routing the milking herd past animal
confinement pens. Separate confine-
feet wide. Provide at least three feet of ment pens from the milking and

head room in front of back-out stalls.

Allow six feet ahead of walk-through

stalls for cows to exit stalls and turn

into the exit alley. Figures 5 and 6

illustrate a number of possible floor

plans.

You can improve cow traffic and

make working conditions more Three section
crowd gate
comfortable by filling manure gutters Confinement pens
Holding area
with concrete. End or side entry Not desirable to route
milking herd past pens.
Figure 5. ¬

Milking stalls

¬
¬
¬ Solid
¬Support poles partition
¬
¬
¬
Milkhouse ¬Possible milking Recommended
entrances milking exit

Support poles Crowd
gate

¬ Holding area

¬ Figure 6.

Possible
milking exits

Authors: Douglas Reinemann is an assistant professor of agricultural engineering, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences,
University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Wisconsin-Extension, Cooperative Extension. H. Kenneth Bolton is an
assistant professor, University of Wisconsin-Extension, Cooperative Extension. Brian J. Holmes is a professor of agricultural
engineering, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and University of Wisconsin-
Extension, Cooperative Extension.

Produced by Cooperative Extension Publications.

An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, University of Wisconsin-Extension provides equal opportunities in
employment and programming, including Title IX requirements.

This publication is available from your Wisconsin county Extension office or from: Extension Publications, Rm. 245, 30 N.
Murray St., Madison, WI 53715; phone 608-262-3346.

A3567 Flat-Barn Milking Systems