Typical Day on a New Zealand Dairy Farm
One of the most frequently asked questions we get from agriculture students, graduates or workers is; what is a typical day like on a New Zealand dairy farm like?
Many farms will differ in the daily tasks depending on how large the farm is and how many cows need to be milked. On larger farms cows are split up and milked in herds, where on small to medium sized farms you will be milking all cows at once.
Although New Zealand dairy herds are outside all year round, the tasks will change during summer and winter. There will be more feeding out in winter with grass not growing as fast as in the summer and spring months. For more information on what happens on a New Zealand dairy farm at different times of the year, see the page on New Zealand Dairy Farming Seasons
5am – Cows brought in from the fields for milking
Usually the job of one lucky person to jump on the bike or quad or truck and bring in the cows from the fields to the milking parlour. The rest of the team will be setting up the milking shed.
5:30am – Joined by the rest of the team to start milking
During the last walk to the milking shed the cows health is inspected and any sick or lame cows are separated for further inspection by farm manager/ owner or if need be the vet. Cups are usually on at 5:30am or 5am if it is a larger farm. It will take between 7 and 10 minutes to milk each cow and all New Zealand dairy farms operate automated milking machines such as Herringbone or Rotary sheds.
7am – Milking over Time to Clean up
With milking finished the cows will be taken back to the fields and the milking shed will be cleaned (hosed) out and it will be time for breakfast.
8am – Breakfast
Time for a hard earned breakfast with the family or other workers.
9am to lunch – Work to be done around the Farm
After breakfast and with a full stomach there are never a shortage of tasks to be completed around the farm. The herd need to be rotated into fresh grazing areas, machinery, fencing and buildings need to be serviced, cows need feeding out and other various tasks as assigned.
12pm – Lunch
Pretty self explanatory really but you will be hungry by lunch and living in a rural area my guess is that lunch will be fantastic!
1pm – More Jobs to be done in the Afternoon
There is never a shortage of jobs to be completed in between milking times. These are usually involve working with machinery, harvesting crops grown on the farm, silage, making hay, rotating stock through paddocks and keeping up maintenance on paddocks, equipment and buildings.
2pm – Time to Milk again
Again one or two people will be assigned to bring the cows in from the fields for milking. If it is in summer and a hot day then milking will be a bit later in the day. While someone returns the cows to the fields for the night, the rest of the team will hose down and clean the milking shed.
5pm – End of the day
Depending on the time of the year this will usually be the end of the day and time for dinner. However during calving time (July/ August) there may need to be calving cows that need to be assisted as birth can happen at any time of the day. During this time you may have a few nights of interrupted sleep with new calves being born.
