By watching the online videos, you will learn about:

• The way cows see the world, and how to deal with them kindly and patiently, with the minimum of stress on you both.
• How to look after a cows’ health, particularly when they are about to give birth (calve).
• How to put up and take down the different types of electric fencing that determine how much feed each cow is allocated.
• How to keep the paddocks in good and safe condition, especially in wet weather.
• Grazing rotation, one of your most important tools for managing feed for the cows.
• How to measure the amount of feed available for the cows, in terms of both dry matter and metabolisable energy.
• How to ensure that there is always enough high-quality water available for the cows, even at peak demand.
• Simple fixes for common problems you might come across on the farm.
• Recording and reporting, as you are the ‘eyes and ears’ of the farm and its smooth running and profitability depend on you, as a vital member of the team.
• Know the basics of calving, how to recognise a normal birth and when to get help.
• Understand the lactation cycle and how it determines which mob each cow belongs in.
• Good systems in the milking shed and how to keep the equipment and shed clean and in good order.
• Teamwork and the roles and responsibilities of everyone in the Milk Harvesting team.
• The processes involved in the two main types of dairy shed used in Aotearoa-New Zealand, the rotary and the herringbone.
• The dairy milking shed being a health food factory, providing safe and nutritious food for people all over the world, and understand that it needs to be treated that way.

The objectives of the course    

By the end of this course, you will:    

People

• Know your roles and responsibilities as a vital member of the team.
• Know how to work with your fellow teammates and how to ask for help when you need it.
• Understand the processes involved in collecting the milk from the animal in a safe, efficient and hygienic way.

Healthy animals

• Understand that the principles of good stock-handling are based on kindness, patience, and common sense.
• Have a good understanding of how the cow sees the world and their likely reactions to people, sound, movement and their environment.
• Know how to observe stock and how to take note of, report and record anything out of the ordinary in their behaviour.
• Have a good understanding of the most common health problems encountered with dairy cows.
• Understand what to do when pregnant cows (springers) are nearing calving.
• Know the basics of calving, how to recognise a normal birth and when to get help.
• Understand the lactation cycle and how it determines which mob each cow belongs in.

Good fences

• Have a good basic understanding of how electric fences (break fences) work and why they are important.
• Understand the different types of break fencing and what each type is used for.
• Know how to plan your own break fences.
• Know how to put up a break fence, using a tried-and-true method.
• Know how to take down a break fence efficiently.
• Understand how to use a break fence for a crop.
• Have a set of wet-weather strategies to minimise mud for the animals and damage to the pasture. 

Feed

• Understand that one of a farmer’s main goals is to match the cows’ demand for feed with the changing growth rates of the pasture during the year. 
• Know how to measure and manage pasture and farm-grown crops (including silage) to produce a high-quality, balanced diet for the cows, maximising its use and minimising waste. 
• Know how to measure the quantity and quality of the feed available to you by understanding the concepts of dry matter and metabolisable energy.
• Understand that pasture grazing rotation is one of the farmer’s main tools to manage the feed grown on the farm. 

Water

• Understand the importance of stock having access to clean, fresh, high-quality water at all times.
• Know how to make sure that enough water is available for all the needs of the farm on a daily basis.
• Know how to make sure that enough water is available at times of peak demand.
• Be able to deal with common problems with the farm’s water supply. 

Systems

• Know how to set up the shed ready for milking.
• Know how to gather the cows, move them to the shed quietly, load them for milking and milk them efficiently, hygienically and without stress for you, your teammates or the animals.
• Understand that you should be familiar with all the systems and processes used in your milking shed and that these systems and processes are documented.
• Understand that these systems and processes are open to discussion and approved changes and improvements. 

The Cowshed

• Have a good understanding of both types of milking sheds commonly used in Aotearoa−New Zealand, the rotary and the herringbone.
• Have a good basic understanding of the plant and equipment used to harvest the milk.
• Know how to keep the plant and the workplace clean during and after milking.
• Understand that the milking shed is a health food factory and needs to be kept at that level, to provide safe and nutritious food for human consumption.

Calving

• Recognise the signs a cow is about to start calving, what a normal presentation looks like, how long it should take and when to seek help 
• Identify what is in the calving kit, and understand how to use it 
• Recognise and treat milk fever, and other birthing complications 
• Make a record about the cow and calf once the cow has given birth 
• Draft calves and cows