How to get cows into the parlour and milk out the gate

There's dozens of small jobs to be done, but I'm starting with the headline tasks for the dairy conversion. The parlour is going into an existing shed, the slurry tank has to be built from scratch, and the collecting yard is half in place.
Then, there's the cubicle shed, a few "roadways", and of course the heifers themselves. It'll be a busy few months and I'll probably laugh when I look back at this planning video and realise how straightforward I thought it was going to be!

[@kieranoregan3971]

Best of luck Kieran. Fair play to you. A massive project and I've no doubt you will make it a success.

[@johncarroll9032]

That was me in 2014, first load of milk left the yard in August of that year. The best of luck

[@neilritchie4035]

Definitely go a 9' Deep Tank. Wrights Slats up in Monaghan do a good slat. If your looking suggestions on slat suppliers. Best of luck Kieran 👍

[@bmcgivney]

Watching your journey into dairy with great interest and wish u the best of luck with it. That mass concrete wall will hold cantilevers no prob there's 2 m16 rods to be put straight thru wall and they will hold them, big washers on them and snig the threads off tight to nut when tightened

[@slickymick]

Hi, i have gone milking and im on my second year iv done mush same.as yourself. I started with 30 calves fo year one and 30 for the 2nd year. I put in a new parlour second hand tank. And i made my cubicals with 6×3 timber and it worked out with second hand auto scraper. The price of things have jumped so best of luck.

[@gerrymulligan2602]

Electric scrapers great job cuts out alot work

[@seandeasy8487]

Well done on taking the leap to Dairy The cost between 14 foot 6 and 16 foot 6 slats is not massive, worth a phone call Cheapest extra storage you will ever do

[@ploughon403]

Great to see a man with a plan , best of luck with your venture and its exciting to be on the journey with you,

[@kazawhaki60]

The very best of luck Kieran, really hope it goes well for you. 👏

[@patrickbrennan6449]

Best of luck kieran. Great video explaining everything.

[@dronedairys7461]

Well done Kieran. A very honest and informative video. Best of luck with everything.

[@pjdoyle5105]

So exciting to see the development plans. Small steps each year is the way to go. Best of luck with it all,

[@smalldairyfarmer]

Best of luck can't wait to see it up and running

[@paulogorman7478]

Best of luck with your adventure. A few comments for the comments here. I don’t milk but do dairy heifers and contract rearing. Sell all your calves and buy in replacements. Buy second calvers with recorded milk numbers and low scc. It’s cheaper to feed a good cow than a bad one. I keep frx holfrx and flevhvieh x You should be getting 22 to 27 litres from your heifers. Anyone below 20 out the gate and replace. Flechvieh are good but will really come into milk on the second calving on the 30 litres range and you have an “six” cull cow to sell that are worth more than an fr or frx. Contract rearing may not suit you yet as you don’t know your cows yet to know what your calves will be like. There is a cost to contract rearing that you can work our yourself. Approx 1.25€ per animal per day in your part of the country plus all costs with the heifers ie meal,silage ,veterinary,AI, dosing,vaccinations that you have to supply and a monthly cheque and more importantly a farmer that will look after your heirfers as good as you. Bulk tank will have be in a room on its own and plant and washing in a separate room. Don’t rule out putting in a jersey or something else if your butterfat and protein are too low to get your bonus Don’t be afraid to ask questions of other farmers for advise but make your own decisions then All the best and the above comments are not to discourage you but to inform you of my opinion thanks

[@markwalsh5650]

Best of luck with your new venture

[@mrdadof5-ku1io]

Great honest video as always . I'll be watching intensely to your progress , as im thinking of doing the very same myself , best of luck in your new venture .

[@padraiggeaney3167]

Brilliant video really enjoying them if it was me if you are putting the milking parlour there don't dig down make it so the cows go up a ramp and there above you and you have no sub pumps to put in to wash the parlour down or ideally keep all the cubicles and put parlour across from them or near them

[@berniemollaghan3942]

Congratulations hope it goes well for you and the family

[@Hillfarmlamb]

Good stuff keiran best of luck with the new enterprise no interest in milking just sheep and sucklers but i haven't miss one of your videos yet really enjoy them you were miss when you took a break👍👍

[@lindaarmstrongjackman9788]

Looks like a great plan. Hope it goes as planned for your family. Wishing you great success. It is exciting to start a new project. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼😊❤️

[@briansul8455]

Fair dues Kieran sounds like it'll be a nice efficient little system once your up and running, be great to seee the auld black and white cows back there again. You'll have no bother getting rid of calves out of them British Friesen cows anyway. Very best of luck with the year ahead 💪

[@jjdeere2650]

Definitely knock wall at either side of cubicles, you will get extra room, i know you will have to put in a rail but it will be worth it,if you have any walls to knock do it now and it will do for backfilling the tank,

[@TO-sp6do]

Best of luck I’m happy for you God bless you can’t wait to see the progress

[@mronion.9166]

Well done keiran best of luck in the future with plans,you seem to have it plan out in your head,you r making good use of what u have and as milk cheques come in u will b able to improve on things, as u no only to well everything so bloody expensive best of luck & u will get there.

[@brendannaughton1996]

Good man kieran.ur finally taking the plunge.wish u the best with it all.hope u can still do Ur work in the office.u will have to be setting the alarm for 5am.u will make a great job of filling the pot holes.if in doubt ask the county council there great for filling pot holes (not).

[@johnnyflat2138]

I do like you and your videos. What you want to achieve will cost hundred of thousands if you can't do most of this yourself.

[@henrymckay731]

Best of luck, you should definitely have a look at fleckveigh cattle.

[@michaelmcdonald2990]

Best of luck on ur new adventure

[@kieranosullivan02]

wall should hold cubicles if it's mass concrete. I'd say knock the wall between both cubicle sheds and maybe even the whole wall at back of new parlour and keep it open... unless there's strong winds from that side but of course the slatted shed would be there one day🤞. Is there any way to keep that wall in the dairy, could have the smaller side as storage of some sort if tank would fit in the other side. Others have said go wider/deeper with slatted tank, probably worth it if you could at all.

[@FarmingIRL2024]

Jaysus your mad getten into milk!

[@markandow6878]

Love the vids, all the best with your new project!

[@shanekelly7494]

Would you have enough space to dig a slatted tank in passage between cubicles Kieran. Might leave things bit easier if you ciuld afford it. I would keep cubicles back from wall at front wall or have some way of cows not going up too far and getting stuck. Best of luck with all.

[@teresacorcoran6554]

Still amazed how interested I've got in farming thanks to you now watching all sorts of farming programmes. Keep up the good work

[@morganbrennan9090]

real progress nice one and congrats

[@garyconroy6474]

Best of luck with the cows great video content

[@niallkeane4975]

Love the content. Do you do any relief milking spring calving on any one else’s farm currently?

[@liamhennessy31]

Great to see progress. 3 things, base your calculations for slurry storage with the soiled water from the parlour and open yard. You don’t want to get caught out with too little storage. And the new shed you have that will be bedded. Put a channel along the end of it and run a pipe into the new tank. That’ll collect all the effluent or dirty water or calf feeder washings and you’ll be compliant. It’s only a small thing but it’s easier do it now while your digging. Also the mats and cubicles. You can get a roll out mat in one big section. Personally I’d use them as the individual mats tend to pull out after time with dirt building up underneath them over time. But the only thing is you have to put the roll out mats in at the same time as the new cubicles.

[@Irishwater7861]

Good Times a head. Best of luck 👍

[@barrettagri6705]

Best of luck with the new venture you should go 9ft deep with the tank the difference in price is very little but you will gain alot more storage .how much land have you in total ? I remember in a previous video that you said you werent farming all the land you own is some of it leased out or can you get it back for milking?

[@jimgannon1917]

Best of luck

[@philiptyndall4968]

Best of luck with the conversion Kieran Just on the area for the dairy/pump room, is there any way you could build a bit onto the front of the proposed parlour or at the side ? It just looks awful tight for space for cows getting out. Ideally you want enough room at the front of the parlour exit for the full row to gather in it, that way it doesn’t create a bottle neck when they get slow and lazy in the autumn. We’ve only enough room at the front of our parlour for cows to exit single fill and it’s an awful pain when they get lazy and they’re slowing you down milking On the cubicles, I would take the angle grinder to them all and put in new ones, go for the ones on the post and rail if they’ll fit so the cows head isn’t up against the wall too much. You’ll want 7ft beds at a minimum, 7ft 6 ideally Best of luck with it all 👍

[@tonykelly8425]

Best of luck kieran.

[@joeclancy868]

Best of luck 👍

[@johnearle6667]

I have milked cows for over 40 years since I left school and if I were in your situation I wouldn’t go into milk because it’s a 7 days a week job 365 days a year and there’s not even a really good living in it .

[@eire77]

its a huge commitment all right .

[@damien3278]

Your right John, im at it 34 years, a young man's game, for the hours and the investment its slave wages

[@hughcarrigan7824]

You should consider doing a 9ft deep tank give you extra capacity for very little extra cost. Get the contractors to put in the shutters sideways to give you the 9ft!

[@samuelrobinson9012]

Exactly. We went 12 feet and a brilliant job.

[@JamesMetcalfe-mq9wn]

Wall will definitely hold up cubicles

[@JACK11168]

Best of luck with it

[@padraicpurcell6547]

Will you plan on raring your own replacement heifers when the time comes or go down the contract raring route? Best of luck with your plans hope it all works out 👍 Good videos very informative 👌

[@seamusdunne7129]

Cantilever cubicle will work on that wall i have them on a 6” block wall the last twenty five years. Stay small and stay going 👍

[@gerrybrown]

Jersey cross calves super hard to sell off after too so better off staying away

[@michealdeering4194]

Sky lights , Knock the wall

[@joeclancy868]

Would people have second hand parlour and cubicles to sell cheap

[@gerrymulligan2602]

Best luck

[@jerryryan8769]

The hard year with weither and price last year and this spring has finished a lot of lads , if you advertised at your local vets and co op you might be able to lease a farm off a farmer who’s looking to take a step back which was close by with cubicles and milking facility’s all set up and a turn key operation for 5 years and then do your own set up at home then if you wish to continue with dairy in the future

[@jerryryan8769]

If you are doing your own parlor the cows would be better turning left out of the parlor and making a small yard out they’re with a simple drafting gate to seperate cows for ai and other jobs and for cows to wait after milking rather than going through the shed every day . Sheds get slippy in the summer and they end up dirtying cubicles every day and cows do be lying up and you will be cleaning and liming them every day and cows getting mastitis which will lead to a lot of extra cleaning and work for you at milking time

[@johnmaher3297]

You are right I made that mistake years ago

[@ToriOBrien-t5b]

Just on your cubicles, cows will go too far up on the cubicles, you'll need a headrail and brisquet board. if I were you I'd replace them all and do the mats as well. Do it once and do it right and you'll always be ahead

[@ToriOBrien-t5b]

And stick with the black and white if you ever do venture try flechveigh

[@Sean-fb7cy]

Fair play

[@patjuliettefleming1150]

U should use the highest ebi bulls that suit ur system 500kg+ using 1 ron meal high ebi stock a must and u have a more valuable herd of cows best of luck

[@jamesbartley3106]

Put in new cubicles they might look ok but when cow's start pushing up against the old ones they start to brake and put in comfort mats

[@donoghwilliams5487]

U going to have some head aches have plenty of panadol 😊

[@ianshannon8098]

You will be fine all the best out who your A I man is And sell your bull they are dangerous.. And your family need you.

[@michealdeering4194]

Get more air and lighting in the sheds

[@gonk227]

A full time dairy man wouldn’t have a look in with a beef man with a job aswell lads are mad thinking ders a heep of money in dairying.

[@gerrymulligan2602]

Least when get.up Runing have check.every month

[@damien3278]

Kieran your mad, spending money to work 7 days a week, long days too in the spring time, There is no fortune in milking cows for the hour's you will put in, Be better on the dole if you could get it, Wish you well all the same.

[@nicklad9463]

If you leased some map acres and bought in silage be better off milking 10 more cows around 50 cows be well worth trying to have.

[@kieranosullivan02]

from my understanding he's going 32/36 for 2025 part time, then if all goes well there he will push to around 60/65 for 2026 full time with more of his own land back from being leased out

[@denisreidy8106]

Someone has lead you wrong on this plan and thats not being negative, milk price is below 40cl and climate change and regulation have Dairy finished, did you do the figures before you start?

[@Rickybobby_ie]

Kieran i think what you're doing is a big mistake a waste of time and money.. small holdings ar not dieing out for no reason! My thinking you would be better off getting into a partnership with some awl lad that wants to take it easier! Milking looks great but its very expensive to do, but best of luck👍

[@noelgalagher2712]

Your 100 per cent right he wasting his time he working for banks no good no life 7days week no time off

[@Rickybobby_ie]

@@noelgalagher2712 don't I know all too much about that 🤦

[@patjuliettefleming1150]

If u want to make a real susess of it use the highest ebi bulls that suit ur system 500kg + solids using at least 1 ton per cow best of luck with it

[@jimxyz8150]

Fare play best luck

[@eugeneoconnell3131]

I milked cows for 45 years my advice to you is get a job there is full employment , you will have only slavery to banks and the co/ op, crippled before your time.

[@paddy294]

First

[@DarrenLyng]

best of luck

[@cyrilboland269]

Hi Kia ran good luck with your new venture great to see you using all those old sheds to get going they will be grand with some tender loving care to get you going keep your herd smallish for a while 34 to 40 cows and then aim for 50 to 55 in year 4 or 5 millking

[@MichaelConroy-f9x]

Rough, Great money in milk you haven't a clue.