* My challenge right now is that we still have
* larger Holsteins as well as the smaller NZ
* crosses. They don't blend well in our current
* herringbone. Perhaps with the right height
* brisket rail on a swing I could control
* movement. Dave Forgey
*
* > Can't you adjust the breach (front) rail in
* > to stop cows moving?
Hi,
I don't think mixing slightly more compact NZ breeding with
lankier US breeding is much different than mixing big
mature cows with 1st calf heifers. It should be OK.
I think Forgey has a parlor where the cows stand at an
angle. The brisket rail adjustment idea isn't as straight
forward a solution in an angled herringbone, as it is in a
parlor where the cows stand more perpendicular to the pit.
It probably won't solve the problem.
Here's a story about what happened to me.
Years ago, we were milking 300 cows 3x in a double 6
side-opener. In my ignorance, I thought I could reduce
milking time (and my personal stress) by converting that
parlor to a double 10 herringbone with a 45 degree parking
angle.
We did the conversion with farm labor while milking on the
other side.
It took about 48 hours of non-stop work. We already had a 3
inch low line in place so we just had to change the stalls.
The biggest job was getting the takeoffs setup and working
right.
I put in a straight brisket rail made from 4 inch well
casing.
The result was bad. We couldn't get the cows to stand
still.
They kept shifting around trying to get a comfortable
position. We could not resolve the problem by adjusting
the brisket rail either up or down, or forward or back.
Finally, in desperation, I took a load of 1.25" ID pipe to a
muffler shop and bent a new scalloped or staggered brisket
rail. There was a "notch" in the brisket rail for each
cow.
This solved the problem almost immediately. The cows docked
into their notch on the brisket rail and immediately seemed
comfortable. It became apparent that the cows would stand
the best in that particular setup with the brisket rail
comparably far forward.
The problem of the cows constantly jockeying for position
was solved.
However the double ten was not faster than the double-3
side-opener and was a much less pleasant work environment.
Business-wise, the whole episode was an expensive and
stressful step sideways and slightly backwards. It was a
waste.
--
Kindest regards,
=======================
F. W. Owen
Owenlea Holsteins
9430 Spencer Road
Homerville, Ohio 44235
e-mail fwo@bright.net
home page http://www.bright.net/~fwo
voice & fax 330.625.2369
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