Often times headlocks are mounted on the side of the parlor next to the operator, and each goat stands with its head locked in place and its body parallel to the operator. With the goats' heads facing the operator, grain can be fed on the side next to the parlor pit, making an easy access for re-filling the grain boxes. In the parallel parlor, the animals are elevated above the pit and stand parallel to one another, facing away from the operator on one or both sides of the pit. Only the rear udder is accessible, which is convenient but could be a problem for goats with non-symmetrical teat placement. The pit dimensions are similar to those outlined previously for the herringbone parlor, but the pit is sometimes deeper for easier access to the udder.
Provision needs to be made for collecting the urine and manure to deflect it from the milking area.
The side opening parlor is another option for dairy goat operations. There is a pit similar to the ones described previously, but the goats stand in individual stall units which run parallel to the pit, with the animals in a line head to tail, often separated by a grain feeder. The animals can enter and exit at their own pace and not affect the rest of the animals. While individual stalls help in handling each goat as a separate unit, they do create more opening and closing of gates and there is a greater distance to walk from one milking unit to the next. The rotary parlor can be more expensive and may add some more animal handling considerations to properly channel the animals onto the rotating parlor.