Milking Parlor Viewing Area

Welcome to the milking parlor viewing area! This is where 100 of our cows are milked 3 times a day, at 4 AM, Noon, and 8 PM. Since cows are animals of habit, many of them will be lined up at the gate when they know it is milking time. The cows will wait in a holding pen behind the parlor until it is their turn to be milked. You may notice that the right and left side of the parlor look a bit different. This is because our unique learning facility showcases both a Parallel and Herringbone style parlor. During the building process in 2000, there was a debate within the dairy industry over which style of parlor better suited the cows and the farmer. The Dairy Center chose to install both styles to be used for educational purposes and to help settle that debate. Over the years, we have noticed that the parallel side tends to be the most popular with both the cows and those milking. 

When a group of cows enters the parlor, the farmer ensures that each cow is cared for. Once the cows are comfortably situated in the parlor, the farmer will use a pre-dip solution. Adding this solution to each teat is much like washing your hands- it helps to kill bacteria and make sure the udder is clean before milking. Next, the farmer will strip, or release some milk from each quarter to check the quality of the milk and make sure there are no abnormalities. The farmer will then wipe the teats with a clean cloth to remove any dirt. Once the teats are clean and bacteria free, the milking unit is attached. Each inflation lightly squeezes the teats to help relieve the cow’s udder. It takes around 5 to 7 minutes for a cow to be milked. Once the cow’s milk flow begins to slow, the milking unit will fall off automatically. Before the cow leaves the parlor, a post-dip solution is put on each teat to protect and stop bacteria from entering the udder. After a group of cows has finished milking, a gate will open, allowing them to walk back to the free stall barn to eat, drink, and lounge. The delicious milk from all 100 cows is stored in a bulk tank to keep it cool until the milk truck picks it up to bring it to the creamery. The milk from our farm is sold to Dairy Farmers of America where it is made into several different dairy products including 7 different types of cheese and the powdered cheese that is used on Doritos!