Dairy Production Systems
23343 NW County Road 236
High Springs, Florida 32643

(386) 454-7977
(386) 454-7966 - fax

info@DPSDairy.com

Parlor Through-Put... What's the Big Deal?

by: David P.Sumrall, originally published April 2004


As surprising as it may sound, if I had to pick one single thing that has the greatest impact on daily production and profitability, it would be parlor through-put. While there are a host of things that take place on our farms every day all of which are critical, few have the same marked influence that parlor through-put does. Obviously, we can do a poor job of feeding cows, and their milk production will suffer. However, in the case of parlor through-put, we can be doing everything else right, and if our parlor routines are not correct, crisp and efficient, we will not reap the maximum benefit that comes from all of those things.

As an example, our nutritionist spends countless hours each month working on the intricate details of rations in his efforts to maximize milk production. He is constantly pushing for that extra half-pound of milk by making this or that small adjustment in the diets of our cows. However, if the cows are not getting properly milked out and regularly so, the majority of his efforts may be completely in vain, or at best will be masked by the effects of poor through-put or improper procedures.

So, just what is parlor through-put? Very simply, it is a term used to describe the flow of cows through the parlor. It is very similar to the speedometer in your car. Your car measures "miles per hour" and parlor through-put is expressed in "cows per stall per hour". An acceptable level of performance in our systems is 5 cows per stall per hour. That means that a double-20 parlor should be able to milk 200 cows per hour (20 stalls per side X 2 sides = 40 stalls X 5 cows per hour = 200 cows per hour).

Of course, we insist on excellent parlor procedures as a prerequisite. Our milking preparation routine protocol calls for a pre-dip, quarter strip, wipe, and hang. The interval between pre-dipping and wiping is to be a minimum of 20 seconds to allow for adequate kill time, and the entire time between the onset of milking prep and the attachment of machines is to be no less than a minute, and ideally not more than 1 1/2 minutes. The goal of the operators serving as milking technicians is to do each of the steps in this routine in an efficient manner that promotes sanitation, milk letdown, and complete milk harvest. The final step in the milking routine is to apply the post-milking dip after the machine has been removed. All of this routine is to occur at the highest rate possible. Cows vary in the actual time that the milking process itself takes. This is usually anywhere from 5 to 8 minutes. So, that means that when we add the milking pre- and post-routines, that we have anywhere from 7 to 10 minutes in the process itself. The only additional time we have to account for is getting cows into the parlor, which is commonly referred to as "loading time".

Loading time is measured from the time that the rear gate is opened to allow cows to enter the parlor until the instant that each stall is filled. Obviously the cow going to the first stall has the farthest distance to walk, followed by the second cow, and so on. In order to get 5 cows per stall per hour (commonly known as 5 "turns" per hour), it must take no more than 12 minutes to get cows loaded, prepped, milked, post-dipped and out of the stall for the next round (60 minutes in an hour/12 minutes per turn = 5 cows per stall per hour). Measuring "turn time" (starts with cows entering and ends with cows leaving) is a quick and easy way to measure parlor throughput on the fly. All it takes is a watch with a second hand. If it takes 15 minutes to get a line of cows in and out, then the through-put for that round would compute to 4 cows per stall per hour (60 minutes/15 minutes per side = 4 cows per stall per hour).

So, how does all of this affect production and productivity? Let's say that the average milk production is 65 pounds per cow per day at an average through-put of 4 cows per stall per hour. If we are milking 3 times per day and allow 1 hour for wash-up at 12-hour intervals, then we have a total of 22 hours of milking time. If we milk 4 cows per stall hour in a double-20 parlor, that means that we can milk a total of approximately 1,175 cows three times per day (20 stalls per side X 2 sides = 40 stalls X 4 cows per hour = 160 cows per hour X 22 hours = 3,520 cow milkings/3 milking per day = 1,173 cows per day). If we improve the cow flow rate to 5 cows per stall per hour, the number of cows we can milk jumps by nearly 300 head per day (291 head, to be exact, or a total of 1,466 cows per day). If we assume that production stays constant at 65 pounds per cow, that is an increase of nearly 19,000 pounds of milk per day! That extra milk at today's price of let's say $18/ hundredweight is equal to a whopping $3,420 per day in extra income with NO increase in labor expense to get it! My illustration does not account for the fact that one would have to invest the capital for the extra 300 cows, and there would be incremental increases in feed, utilities, and other expenses, but clearly a more efficient parlor yields higher daily gross revenues, and a greater opportunity for increased bottom-line profitability!

My little example here assumes that milk production stays constant. In reality and base on our own actual experience, when we improve parlor throughput, milk production goes up, even on a per cow basis. This is due to the fact that the less time the cows spend in the parlor (assuming an adequate milking routine and good milk-out) the more time they spend eating and resting. So cows that flow rapidly through the parlor have more time to make milk, and are happier cows that prove it in increased production.

We work very hard on milking routines for a variety of reasons, not the least of which are to improve milk quality and promote good udder health. But, the next time we are talking with you about parlor through-put, remember the HUGE difference it can make in the cash flow of your farm. Ask your manager and/or supervisor to tell you more, and if they don't want to talk to you about it, ask ME the next time you see me on your farm. Like I said in the beginning, I think parlor through-put is the single biggest factor affecting production and profitability on a daily basis, and it deserves our utmost attention!

To all of you who serve as milking technicians, your job is very important, and we appreciate your hard work and attention to detail. If you think your job does not matter, think again!

For more information, contact David P. Sumrall at (386) 454-7977 or info@dpsdairy.com.


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