Milk’ing par’lor – noun – a facility where equipment, cows, people and procedures come together for the purpose of harvesting healthy milk in a safe and efficient manner. While lengthy discussions could be written about each aspect of this definition, this article consolidates some important points about the management of milking parlors.

Cows are designed to produce milk; and they are bred, fed and managed to produce lots of it. The design and daily operation of the parlor facility can either facilitate or inhibit the productivity of the cow. If the facility, cows, people, procedures and training do not work in sync, then productivity, health, efficiency and profits will suffer.

Facilities and equipment
Regardless of their age or design, facilities and equipment must be regularly monitored and maintained. Have the entire system checked annually by a qualified technician – or more frequently if a problem is suspected. Consult a qualified electrical professional with stray voltage experience, if this is a concern. Inspect for cleanliness, and any damage or movement of equipment which could allow pooling of milk or wash water. Replace wearable parts (inflations, hoses, etc.) on a schedule based on equipment manufacturer’s specifications.

Cows
Clean, healthy milk comes from clean, healthy cows. Keep cow feeding, resting and transit areas clean. Whether cows are housed inside or out, minimize areas of water pooling and accumulation of manure and mud through good drainage and regular scraping and removal of waste. On the cows themselves, singe or clip udder hair and clip tail switch for udder cleanliness and reduced worker irritation. Maintain effective herd health protocols in cooperation with your herd veterinarian.

Procedures and routines
Handle cows gently with a minimum of loud noises, whistling, and manhandling. Use crowd gates to assist normal cow movement instead of forcing it. This will improve cow flow and allow normal oxytocin release. Relaxed cows milk more rapidly and completely, which improves cow health, milk production, and parlor efficiency. If cows are reluctant to enter the parlor, look for the reason from a cow’s perspective: noise, poor footing, rough handling by personnel, stray voltage, menacing dog, and so on.

Handle cows in a manner that assures the safety of all cows and personnel. Develop milking protocols to achieve the goals of high parlor throughput, milk quality, and maximum milk per parlor unit. Procedures are the individual steps in the milking process such as pre-dip, strip, wipe, attach, detach and post-dip. A variety of procedures may be utilized, but for any procedure to be effective, proper attention to cleanliness and timing of stimulation are essential.

Always wear gloves, and utilize single-use towels for wiping. If needed, make deliberate changes in procedure and measure the results. Routines are how a milker, or group of milkers, carry out the milking procedure steps in a parlor. These also vary, but most parlors fall into one of three types: grouping, sequential, or territorial. What works best for one parlor may not be right for another because of differences in facilities or workers. Once an effective procedure and routine are established, make sure it is followed consistently by all milkers, on all shifts, all the time.

Determine the schedule of milking in terms of frequency and times of the day. Is parlor capacity able to handle 3X? What procedural changes might be necessary to accommodate 3X, or should you consider milking fresh cows 3X or 4X, with remaining cows 2X? Keep all supplies well-labeled, with labels that indicate contents and use. If antibiotic use is needed, avoid residues by clearly marking treated cows, using only products properly labeled for lactating cows, and following all withholding times. Keep products used for lactating cows separate from dry cow treatments. Train workers not only on the procedures and protocols, but also the reasons and importance of following them.

People
People are usually the biggest variable in the parlor equation. Personnel changes, procedure shortcuts or “slip,” and inconsistent parlor operation can undermine the best-designed parlor management plan. For workers to really want to do it right, they have to “buy in,” or see the benefits for themselves. Those benefits may fall into two main categories: It makes my job easier, or it provides me with a tangible reward or incentive. Training is important not only for instruction, but also to achieve buy-in.

When a milker understands how and why stimulation is important for milk letdown, he or she can see the benefit of cows that milk more easily and quickly. When a milker understands how loud noises affect cows, he can enjoy the benefit of milking calmer cows. Many dairies use incentives to reward performance of their milking team. To be effective, the incentive must be attainable, measurable, and meaningful to the employee. An incentive program that is unreachable, unclear, or offers rewards not valued by the employees may be worse than no incentive at all. The incentive needs to be a win-win. That is, it should reward the workers for something that is good for the business.

Post the measured incentive parameter(s) regularly, for all employees to see, so they can see their progress. The incentive needs to be awarded on a timely basis, to keep it fresh in employees’ minds. A reward offered annually, or even quarterly, is too infrequent, and may soon lose its motivating value. Incentives can not only improve milker performance, but improve morale and employee retention.

Troubleshooting and expert help If parlor performance is not meeting expectations, the reasons may be complex. Try to determine if the main problem is the equipment, cows, people, or procedure. Use outside resources if needed. Many operations have discovered the benefits of working with a parlor management consultant to evaluate and troubleshoot parlor operations and train workers. Benefits in parlor throughput, milk-per-cow volume, milk quality, and worker satisfaction and retention have been observed.

Consultants are available on a fee-for-service basis, and may be available through your current vendors. Check with your feed supplier, veterinarian, nutritionist and equipment supplier to see if they offer parlor consultation services as part of their overall service package, or for a fee. Look for a consultant with expertise in the areas you need, whether it be equipment, procedures and routines, or multilingual training. PD

Dave Lahr is a nutritionist at the Form-A-Feed and TechMix companies, headquartered in Stewart, Minnesota. For more information, send an e-mail to articleinfo@formafeed.com or call Dave at (800) 422-3649.