Help with design

[piglady]

We have two heifers that are half Jersey and half Holstien and they are both due in December. This will be their first. We raised them as bottle calves so they are very gentle. We are now preparing their milk barn (well small shed actually) but we don't know how big to make it. Our house sits right next to a hill and there is no level spot available so we are thinking of using that to our advantage. We want to build it with the back on the high side where they walk in and the front on the low side where we walk in. We will build two stalls or runs on each side of a droped down hallway where we sit to milk. This way their utters will be higher than if we were on level ground. We don't have to dig this hole out for the people lane but rather we will level the cow floor up with saw mill lumber. It's hard to describe but imagine a person standing in a hole in the middle with a cow on each side on a platform. We will have a feed bunk for them to eat while milking and most likely a head shut to make sure they don't decide to back up while eating, milking. The question is, What size area should we allow for the cows to stand while being milked? Too wide and we have to reach in after them. Too narrow and they may not want to enter. Don't want to make it too short either or her rear end sticks outside the shed. Don't want to waste space or material either so don't want it longer than needs to be. So, for those who have milk cows, how long should their area be? how wide? and how high off the ground to hand milk comfortable from a stool?

[Up North]

If you scroll down thru the pages of this article, it may give you some insights. Take note of blueprints and dimensions shown.
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/dairymod/mil...aseStudies.pdf

[sammyd]

If you're on a milking stool, you wouldn't need to raise her up at all. It would probably be a hassle if you were hand milking, holding your hands up, can't see in the bucket....
I would pour concrete for the milking area, It's easier to keep clean and will probably hold up to all that weight much better.