As its name suggests, a parabone parlor is a cross between a parallel and herringbone parlor with cows standing at approximately a 70-degree angle. To milk cows in a parabone, the milker must be attached from behind as the angle which the cow stands in not conducive to side attachment. A parabone tends to have a simplified design which results in lower costs. There are no great advantages or disadvantages of a parabone over a herringbone or parallel.
The distance from udder to udder can be as great as 34 inches or as little as 27 inches depending on the design of the parlor. The angle of the cow to the curb can also vary greatly from 50 to 75 degrees. The wide ranges are due to the lack of definition for this parlor type.
This parlor type can be retrofitted from an existing herringbone to allow for more cows in the same amount of space. The cows can either exit in a single file or through rapid exit.