Author Topic: Milking Barn/Parlour In A Shipping Container?  (Read 9479 times)

Pooh

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Milking Barn/Parlour In A Shipping Container?
« on: January 25, 2010, 08:48:53 AM »
Hi there

I am new to the site and this is a first post.....

Just curious to know if anyone on this site has customised a shipping container for a milking parlour?
We have the land to build one in the conventional style but not the money!

For eight cows (yet to be purchased) it doesn't warrant it either.

If we bought a second hand refrigerated container and divided it into two across ways ie you end up with two 10ft square areas. Front half holds the milk, water and heating connections etc.
Back half is the milking area where the cows walk up a ramp in twos, get milked and then keep walking down a ramp on the other side when the job's done.

Well that's what we've dreamed up - would be a lot cheaper than building a proper parlour and could even be shifted to a new site if need be.

Any ideas anyone??

Cheers

Pooh from New Zealand






FRANCOIS

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Re: Milking Barn/Parlour In A Shipping Container?
« Reply #1 on: January 25, 2010, 10:31:59 AM »
If this is for a commercial operation you should check with NZFSA to see if they'd allow it.  I don't see how it will be cheaper considering the cost of shipping containers in NZ since Fonterra bought them all up.  You'll need power, water, floor drains and wash down surfaces either way.  I would think a pole barn with a quick conrete slab would be more cost effective.

MrsKK

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Re: Milking Barn/Parlour In A Shipping Container?
« Reply #2 on: January 25, 2010, 03:06:07 PM »
I'd recommend that you join the Keeping a Family Cow forum (http://familycow.proboards.com/index.cgi?) and ask your question there, as there are members from all over the world and many with lots of experience in what you are looking at doing.

As Francois brings up though, you do need to check into regulations if you are planning on a commercial operation.

Good luck to you and welcome to the Cheese Forum.

linuxboy

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Re: Milking Barn/Parlour In A Shipping Container?
« Reply #3 on: January 25, 2010, 03:56:09 PM »
Your biggest cost for a parlour is the equipment: stainless lines, pump(s), holding tank, pasteurizer/homogenizer, gates/parlor hardware, etc. The container is nice because its modularized and potentially portable. But if you don't need it to be portable, then a regular barn might even be cheaper. Last time I priced it out, a used insulated container here by the port was about 3,500-6,000 USD. That's likely cheaper than what you have because there is a surplus of containers here as I have two large ports nearby.  For that amount, I can build a good size barn.  Of course, if portability is needed, such as if you're doing intensive rotational grazing, it may make sense to build a completely portable parlor.. but with 8 cows its easier to bring them in.

FRANCOIS

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Re: Milking Barn/Parlour In A Shipping Container?
« Reply #4 on: January 25, 2010, 06:56:32 PM »
Linuxboy, used milking equipment is "cheap as chips" in NZ. The smaller lines are all on their way out and being replaced with 2.5 and 3 inch. You can get a high/low 20 cow setup complete in 2" for $2,000-3,000.  My neighbor just put in a 30 setup, used 2 inch, complete with pumps, CIP and even the milk tank for under $3,000.

linuxboy

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Re: Milking Barn/Parlour In A Shipping Container?
« Reply #5 on: January 25, 2010, 07:05:18 PM »
That is crazy cheap. I can't believe the price difference. That's like buying everything at the price of scrap stainless.

For the current discussion, I will add, it's not too difficult to cut away and customize a container, but it's been my experience that building from the ground up is less work in the end. You can just do it right the first time as opposed to figuring out how to squeeze in a tank into a 8' wide space.

FRANCOIS

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Re: Milking Barn/Parlour In A Shipping Container?
« Reply #6 on: January 25, 2010, 07:28:29 PM »
Also, there is no freezing weather on the north island, so parlours are open and all water lines are exposed.  Parlours here are very "rudementary" unless you have a rotary.  I would think a pole barn parlour would be much cheaper than a container.