Seems to me that the real question in parlor selection is: "What are all the attributes that I as a dairy farmer would want from a new milking parlor?". Of course, good throughput is desired. But a parlor should provide an environment that promotes quality milking, operator satisfaction, cow friendliness and consistency as well. For a moment, forget all the bells and whistles and all the throughput claims and comparisons and attempt to choose a milking parlor that embodies all the characteristics deemed to be important. Of course, the selection must offer a promise of completing the milking chore in the allotted time. But, the selection criteria must go beyond throughput. The parlor must have an overall performance potential that encompasses the full list of attributes. Then, once a choice is made, proceed to do all things possible—training workers in proper milking routine, adopting practices that foster worker self-esteem, managing the housing system so clean cows enter the parlor—to maximize performance and achieve the potential of the installed equipment and the expression of all the characteristics thought to be important.

In a later newsletter, we will revisit the subject of rotary parlors in the context of the above considerations. For example, rotary parlors negatively impact the pre-milking udder preparation routine.