PBI Systems: Parlor Systems That Work For You

PBI Systems: Parlor Systems That Work For You

By Steve Weisman.

Set in the countryside outside Portales, New Mexico lies PBI Parlor Systems, a leading manufacturer of milking stalls and other parlor equipment being utilized in dairies throughout the world.

PBI was at the forefront of the dairy industry’s parallel stall beginnings. According to Steve Peacock, owner of PBI, the idea behind the PBI parlor system was to help streamline dairy parlors and allow more cows into a smaller space, milk more efficiently, all while getting the cows into and out of the dairy parlor more quickly. “We also wanted to develop a system that would provide more safety and better access to the milker, make the cow more comfortable, and, should a cow go down while in the parallel stall, provide her with the ability to still get up because she would not be surrounded by a traditional cage that is typically found in many parlor systems.”

With an extensive background in the dairy business, Peacock prides himself on the innovative parlor equipment that his company provides dairy farms of all sizes. Together with his team, Peacock is committed to helping dairy producers improve their bottom line. This is accomplished through the company’s product line and dedication to exceptional customer service.

Innovation At Its Core

The vision for the PBI parlor system was established more than 30 years ago after Peacock designed a parallel stall at the request of a local dairyman, Jerry Settles, manager of Del Oro Dairy. Initially starting his career as an industrial welder, Peacock eventually began remodeling corrals before turning his attention to developing a parlor system design that has proven to have a significant impact on the dairy industry. Peacock’s original parlor system design was pivotal in the viability of the parallel stall making its mark on the entire dairy industry. In fact, fast forward to 2023 and PBI’s parlor systems are the leading stalls being used throughout the world. Not only has Peacock designed a long-lasting, stronger and more durable parallel stall that boasts simplicity, he also has ensured that his design is easy to operate – all characteristics that dairy producers highly value.

“Any time I would see where an improvement could be made to the parlor system design, I would made adaptations,” Peacock says. “We gave the cow more room so she would not rub her back, we made the design go up faster and further so the bigger cows don’t hit their shoulders when they exit, and we accommodated for longer indexing for the smaller cows.”

In addition to focusing on continuous improvement of the company’s product designs, the parlor system stalls are engineered for maintaining cow safety and dairy efficiency, all while being custom built to meet the exact specifications of each dairy farm where the products are installed. In fact, to ensure the quality of the final product, PBI controls every stage of production so that the design, manufacturing and installation of each system meets the specificity of each dairy, whether they are small family-dairies or large commercial dairies.

“PBI has advanced the way we put our stalls together as well as the design so that the cow has more room. We can work around any size cow, large or small,” Peacock says. “We also can adapt our front end to work in any barn remodel, no matter what brand of stall you have existing in the parlor.”

In addition, the PBI Parlor Systems team remains vigilant in any design changes that they feel could improve the comfort of both the cow and milker. Of course, when it comes to parlor equipment, durable is key due to the daily wear and tear of heavily used systems. Because of this, PBI only uses heavy duty galvanized and stainless steels throughout its products to provide a durable yet sleek stall with no rough edges to hurt cows or producers. Also, the PBI stall designs are compatible with all brands of milking equipment, which ensures a smooth, streamlined integration of PBI’s parlor systems.

“Performance excellence is ensured by our expert project installer and crew, which we make available for every installation,” Peacock says. Each dairy customer also receives ongoing support long after installation is complete to ensure full satisfaction and streamlined functionality throughout the process.

The Elite Parallel Stall is PBI’s signature stall and boasts the following attributes:

• A powerful hydraulic cylinder operates an entire row raising the headstall from 62”-66” full head clearance, high enough for even your largest cow.
• Lowering of headstalls can be adjusted to your specifications.
• Rapid exit allows cows to leave at the same time.
• Counter weights are used on our patented divider gates. Nothing is spring loaded.
• This stall is offered on 26” centers for jersey cows only, 27” centers for mixed herds or Holsteins, or 28” centers for Holsteins.

Eddie Schaap, owner of North Point Dairy, Pleasant Hill Dairy, and High Lonesome Dairy, had wanted to covert his barns to PBI stalls for a long time because they reliable and have a very simple design.

“PBI came in planned, custom built the stalls and did the remodel in two installation times. We didn’t lose any production and the cows adapted very well after a few shifts,” Schaap said. “Cows will enter the barn more efficiently because they have plenty of room to walk in. After loading the cows, the stalls can be adjusted by moving cows slightly toward the butt plates. This allows milkers to prep the cows and hang the machines efficiently without having to reach too far. Best of all, when the cows are done milking… the stalls go up and PBI stalls are completely out of the way. There’s plenty of room to quickly walk out without a chance to get hung up between any loops or posts. And if a cow goes down, she can be moved quickly and easily away from the stalls without hurting the cow. No need to worry about frozen air lines in the winter. They are best. We have three barns with PBI stalls.”

Whether its remodeling an existing dairy facility or a newly built operation, PBI will develop a customized parlor system that works perfectly with a producer’s established operations.

“We are very customer oriented and have tried to remain as economical as possible because we recognize the vital importance of improving dairy profits through exceptionally designed products. We recognize that simple is best when it comes to a dairy stall,” Peacock says. PBI has seasoned employees who have been with the company for more than 20 years, from their fabrication and installation supervisors(Martin and Efren), the company’s well versed office manager (Jodi), and Lucky Peacock who has been here from the start of PBI, who as a team can help you from start to finish on your job.

The dairy industry has made a giant swing and is changing as we move forward. There are many facilities that have been in business successfully for many years and are in need of an upgrade to stay efficient.

To move over into new facilities is not cost effective so PBI (Peacock Bros., Inc.) stalls are still cost effective to upgrade and keep a facility in great operating condition for many years to come.

For more information about PBI Parlor Systems, visit pbiparlorsystems.com.