Parallel Dairy Barn Systems

Parallel dairy barn systems are similar to herringbone milking parlors in design except that in the parallel milking parlor design cows stand perpendicular to the milking operator pit rather than at an angle, and the cows are milked from the rear between the cow's hind legs rather than from the side. The cow platform is wider than in a herringbone parlor to accommodate the length of the cow. The advantage of the parallel parlor design is that the cows stand closer together so the walking distance for the milkers is shorter than in a herringbone parlor design. The disadvantage is that cows must be milked from behind, so the tail will often be in the way, and it may be a long reach to the cow's teats for some milkers.

A 500-stall parallel dairy barn system. This system is expandable for up to 650 stalls.