Virtual Farmyard Tours

The restrictions caused by the COVID lock down has affected us all in different ways. For anyone who is currently in the planning stages of building a new milking parlour one of the challenges is not being able to go and visit other farms.

A series of 360 degree photographs which allow the user to move around the farm and view it from almost any angle

It is always a big help to go and see other milking parlours before embarking on a new project. Looking around other parlours and talking to other farmers about what works well is always a worthwhile exercise and an important part of the design process.

In the absence of being able to visit farms yourself, Teagasc have started building a library of virtual farm tours on its website. These tours allow you to go and take a look at other milking parlours from the comfort of your home. Teagasc would like to thank the farmers who have allowed their farms to be used to produce the tours.

The virtual tours include a series of 360 degree photographs which allow you to move around the farm and view it from almost any angle. We have picked out and highlighted the key features that are worthy of a specific mention on each farm. There are videos included within the virtual tours which explain in more detail some of the features e.g. cow flow routes. These help give a better understanding on how the parlour functions. The key dimensions, and plans of the buildings are included in each tour so that you can easily see what size is allocated to each area and to get a handle on the overall footprint.

Visit https://www.teagasc.ie/rural-economy/farm-management/farm-buildings/virtual-farmyard-tours/

Francis Quigley, Teagasc Farm Machinery and Milking Machine Specialist, said: “I would encourage farmers planning a new project to have a look around each of the tours. If you are building a herringbone parlour don’t confine yourself to looking at just the herringbone tours, there are unique ideas in each of the parlours which could be used in any new parlour.  Another big advantage of the virtual tour is that you go back and visit the farm as often as you want to check out the finer details such as how a gate was hung or a drain is laid.”     

He said; “Every farm is unique and each farmer has their own preference of what works best for them but it’s very rare that a visit to another farm will not give you a new idea or a different way of tackling a problem. We are confident that you will find some new ideas that you can use in your parlour if you take the time go through the virtual tours.”

More tours will be added as they are completed.