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Story: Farm buildings

How a rotary dairy shed works

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How a rotary dairy shed works

In a rotary milking system, the cows walk onto a slowly rotating platform. The milker puts on the cups and the cows are milked while the platform revolves. When a cycle is almost complete, the cups are automatically removed and the cow backs off the platform.

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How to cite this page

Robert Peden, Farm buildings – Milking sheds, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/diagram/18505/how-a-rotary-dairy-shed-works (accessed 11 June 2026).

Story by Robert Peden, published 1 March 2009.