Expand the utility room into the former office area, add a breezeway, add a second wing for expanded office, employee breakroom, secure storage and so forth. By tearing out the face of the building, you may add more parlor stalls. You can go to a double 16 with a three inch low line without doing a thing in the milk house. Compare the initial cost of a milking parlor to your expected gross annual milk sales. T his rule of thumb on parlor investment holds true across many herd sizes, remarks Doug Reinemann, University of Wisconsin, biological systems engineer.
Dairies making a transition to larger herds are in a touchy economic position.
It's actually possible to increase the cost of producing milk by over investing in a milking center. K eep in mind that a rule of thumb is based on generalities. For example, is the farm totally dairy or is it diversified with crops, cash crops or specialty crops. O nce you have arrived at a comfortable ceiling in what you're going to spend on a milking center for your growing dairy, you can begin to look at design options. Economics often dictate one style of milking center versus another.