The Wingham Advance-Times, 1984-03-21, Page 617
30 - The Farm Edltlon, Week of March 21, 1984
Milking pariorsize can depend on
Selecting a milking parlor and its compon-
ents is a difficult and frustrating experience.
After all, few dairymen build more than one
in a lifetime. While the decision is complex
and there are many factors to consider, the -
first bit of advice to follow is "Work hard to
keep it simple".
In general, don't try things that are not
tried and true. For example, automatic take
off units are in wide use, are popular with
dairymen and they continue to use them.
They may be a choice over backflush units
which are still in the research stage.
Factors which should be considered when
selecting a parlor are:
1. Number of cows
2. Available time and labor
3. Production level
4. Anticipated expansion
5. Cost
6. Personal Preference
The 'type and size of milking parlor
selected depends upon space availabley
building design and location, cow traffic and
milking routines, especially as the latter may
be influenced by mechanization.
• The types of parlors that are generally
considered are the side opening, herring-
bone, trigon and polygon. Rotary and
wald-thru parlors are not popular types and
are of historic interest.
The mechanization for parlors to consider
are automatic detachers, crowd gates, feed
bowl covers, and power operated gates.
Each should be considered on its individual
merit.
Other options.,inelude feed mechanisms,
udder washing and stimulation (i.e. prep
stalls), positive pressure stimulation, back-
flush units, electronic milk meters, on line
computers, and automatic mastitis detect-
ors.
Research your beef purchases
"Purchasing a quantity of beef for your
freezer is a financial commitment. To avoid
disappointment, take time to do some
research," says Monica Beaumont, a food
and nutrition specialist with the Ontario
Ministry of Agriculture and Food's rural
organizations and services branch.
Before ordering, consider your family's
meat preferences. When you buy a side ,or
quarter of beef, you receive all the cuts in
that section. If your family dislikes grpund or
stewing beef, it may be wiser to buy steaks
and roasts when available at special store
prices.
You will also need a large freezer, about
2.8 litres for every 13.6 kilograms to 15.9
kilograms of meat (one cubic foot for every
30 pounds to 35 pounds of meat).
An average front or hind quarter will
—require ri lures -t 44-9itres:(-fou bie feet to
abocubic' I litrend a side of beef s cubic feet) of will
space.
It isimportant to conpare prices and
become familiar with the grades and the
various meat cuts.
er of circumstances
Be cautious in- planning a parlor based
upon the advertised rate of milking. These
figures are usually given as steady state
thru-put value. In other words, the absolute
maximum rate within a milking period.
There is no allowance for set up and clean up
time, changing groups, slow or problem
cows.
In some cases, the theoretical number of
cows per hour is double the actual. The
limiting factor in the number of cows that
can be milked per hour is the amount of
routine time that is required for each cow.
The number of cows that are milked per hour
is 60, divided by routine time. Thus, if it
requires 1.5 minutes of routine time per cow,
the number of cows that can be milked per
hour is 40. This is regardless of the number
of units in use.
The number of units per operator is
variable and dependent upon the type of
system, milk production per cow and other
factors.
Operation of rotary parlors with one man
using conventional units should be viewed
with caution. Eight milking units (the
When buying, look for a grade stamp on
the side of the carcass; Al or A2 are
preferred grades. Al is the leanest and A2
has slightly more fat and 1so more
marbling.
When you order, remember that t e front
quarters contain more roasts but a igher
proportion of less tender cuts, while the hind
quarters have more tender cuts.
Specify exactly how you would like your
order cut. For example, the thickness of the
steaks, the weight of the roasts and the fat
content of the ground beef should be
indicated to the butcher.
Ask the butcher to label each package with
the name of the cut and the weight.
At home, check the order to make sure you
received all the cuts ordered and the full
weight. If the meat is not properly wrapped,
xe-verap in air and moisture proof paper to
prevent freezer burns.
Roasts, if properly wrapped, can be stored
up to one year; steaks, nine months; stewing
beef,.six months; ground beef, three to six
months; and variety meats, three months.
smallest' rotary parlor) are usually too many
for one man to operate.
Proper sizing of milking equipment in
milking parlors is important. [Vote that pump
size per unit decreases as size of the system
increases.
Proper pipe size is essential in milking
systems. Restricted pipes cause vacuum
level differences within the -system. This can
result in unstable vacuum conditions and
even Toss of vacuum capacity of the pump
due to increased vacuum level at the pump
intake.
If you are in the process of selecting,
updating, or just have a passing, interest in
milking parlors or systems, allow some time
to study them objectiveiy. Visit as many of
yourfellow dairy farmers as possible and
watch them milk. Take off your rose coloured
glasses, sharpen you pen and then decide.
Remember that you're the one that pays
the bills and that the pay back has to come
'from those four "hanger -downers". That's a
mightly small stream from which all the
profits must come.
Protecting Ontario's farmland
Reflecting increasing emphasis on
protecting Ontario's farm land, the Ministry
of Agriculture and Food, has expanded its
Foodland Preservation Branch, says Assist-
ant
ssistant. Deputy Minister William Doyle.
This move will see five managers and
sever' field staff working with municipal
planners across Ontario and reviewing plans
for major developments such as transporta-
tion, hydro or pipeline routes to see that
these make the least possible impact on
agricultural land.
"This group will develop and apply
policies to protect agricultural land resoarc-
es along the lines of the recent revisions in
the Foodland Guidelines covering rehabilita-
-t ion•ef .p*_ime–eagsicult.ural land after mineral.
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extraction," Doyle said.
"These staff will also work with municip-
municipal official plans under the new
given proper consideration and protection in
mufnicipal official plans under the new
Planning Act.
For administrative purposes, the province
has been divided up into regions under
regional managers Keith Pinder (southwest
and eastern) and Susan Singh (central and
northern). Reporting to Pinder will, be Donna
Sharp, district manager for the southwest
region and her land use specialists in the
field - Ray Valaitis in Ancaster and Jim,
Miller of St. Thomas.
Also reporting to Pinder are eastern
regional manager, Tony Tosine, and Dale
Toombs in Lindsay and Tom MacPherson in
Kemptville. .
The central and northern region under
Susan Singh is made up of district manager
Neil Smith ani his– reelstaff; haioia
Flaming in Fergus, Herman Van Wesen-
beeck in Elmvale and Susan MacPherson
who area is norther Ontario.
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