Looking after your cows

Keeping a close eye on your cows’ health is one of the most important parts of dairy farming. As you gain experience, you’ll become more confident in spotting signs of illness and knowing what to do. To start with, focus on a few key areas:

• Watch for lameness.
• Learn how to detect and prevent mastitis.
• Understand how to care for sick cows.

You may also find the information on good stockmanship useful. Building positive relationships with your animals is good for both you and your herd.

Milking tips for beginners

You’ll learn a lot by doing, but if you want a head start there are a few basics worth checking out. Getting comfortable with the milking process early on will help things run smoothly and keep your cows healthy. Key areas to explore include:

• Preparing teats before milking.
• How to put on and remove milking cups.
• Effective teat spraying.
• Using the backing gate.
• What a typical routine looks like in a herringbone or rotary shed.

Get started with these podcasts

If you enjoy listening to a good podcast these episodes are a great way to learn on the go. We’ve put together a collection we think you’ll find both interesting and useful for your role and life on the farm.

Listen here

Helpful resources for getting started

We have a range of free resources designed especially for people new to the sector. Many can be downloaded, and some are available as free printed copies that can be delivered to your door:

• Onboarding – this guide is full of helpful tips on what to expect during your first 90 days on the farm.
• Techniques for the most efficient milking routine in a rotary or herringbone milking shed.
• Minimising lameness poster – hang this in your shed and use it as a quick visual guide to help spot risks and reduce lameness in your herd.