The Milk Maker is involved in all the tasks on the farm that contribute to making the milk, from making sure that the cows have plenty to eat to looking after the cows that are ready to give birth.

The Milk Maker’s job begins with ensuring that the animals get high-quality feed, in the form of grass, crops and supplements. There should be a good supply of high-quality pasture for the cows to graze, crops may be grown on the farm or brought in when the grass is not growing, and supplements may be given to keep the animals in excellent condition. 

Since milk is made up mostly of water, the Milk Maker must also ensure that the cows always have a ready supply of fresh, good-quality drinking water, and that this water supply is sufficient to meet peak demand on the farm.  

Among the Milk Maker’s most important everyday tasks is to put up and take down the temporary electric fencing (break fencing) that allocates the right amount of food to the cows and ensures they get the most out of the pasture on the farm. 

Your goal, as a Milk Maker, will be to ensure that all your cows are healthy and well cared for and capable of producing milk (and calves) to their full potential.  

You will learn about:

• The way that cows see the world, and how to deal with them kindly, knowledgeably, and patiently, with the minimum of stress on you both.
• How to look after the 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.

Key ingredients of the Milk Maker’s job        

The key requirements to make milk are 

• Healthy animals.
• Good fences.
• Feed.
• Water. 

Everything is interconnected and all four aspects must be running smoothly to get the job done well.

The objectives of the course        

Healthy animals

By the end of this course, you will:

• 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

By the end of this course, you will:

• 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

By the end of this course, you will:

• 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

By the end of this course, you will:

• 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.