Expected Results

How Success Will Be Measured

Excellent Stockmanship.

Animal welfare skills appropriate to the level of role.

·         All animals are checked regularly to maintain excellent health and condition – any concerns are raised immediately with Manager

·         Demonstrates excellent stockmanship skills through the way animals are handled generally, handles animals gently; works with the animal, works at cow pace; is able to separate individual cows from a mob with minimum of disruption and stress to rest of mob

·         Demonstrates an understanding of the impacts s/he can have on animals welfare, health and quality of life

·         Ensures animal welfare matters are identified and attended to, to a high standard (clean, adequate water, feed, animal health, abnormal situations identified early)

·         Ensures animals are safe and secure and receive top priority – e.g. gates are closed once all cows are milked and in the paddock, appropriate level of feed in the paddock (> 1500 kgDM/ha grass residual), water troughs are working correctly

·         Is able to assist with the management of the young stock and general drenching, vaccination, ear tagging and weighing tasks to a competent standard

·         Identifies stock type and different basic needs of each; can pick milker from dry cow, etc; demonstrates an understanding of the different feed demands (eg: how a milking cow differs from a dry cow), calf milk different from expected or norm, etc

·         Records all animal health events, especially cows treated with penicillin – e.g. mastitis, lameness, calving event, bulling (cycling) cow, metabolic disorders

·         Provides assistance with stock movement and they are accurately and safely shifted and supervised when moved between the farm and run-offs

·         All obligations are meet under the Animal Welfare Act 1999

·         All of the above will be evidenced by records, observations and feedback from employer and farm professionals

Contributes to successful calving and calf rearing

·         Maximises pregnant cow and calf health, minimise animal deaths

·         Springers separated one or two weeks pre-calving and their pasture dusted with magnesium

·         Assists with the effective running of two or more herds of calved cows (pre and post four days from calving), milked in the correct order (Milking herd, first day Colostrum herd, 2 to 4 day Colostrum herd, penicillin herd) and milk correctly separated for Dairy Company pick-up or calf rearing respectively

·         Promptly assists with calving as required

·         Calving disorders, sick calves or any other disorders quickly identified and assistance is provided to the cow and/or calf as soon as possible and advised to the Manager

·         Accurate calving records kept of calves and their mothers

·         All heifer and bobby calves separately identified and appropriately ear tagged in a hygienic manner

·         All heifer calves are retained and bobby calves made ready for collection

·         All calves needs are met (colostrum, meal/meuli, clean, fresh water, navels and umbilical cords iodinised, medical issues)

·         Calf sheds, calf rearing equipment (feeders, troughs) and bedding prepared, maintained and cleaned/water blasted to an excellent standard prior to, during and after calving

·         Demonstrates excellent stockmanship skills through the way calves are handled generally, handles animals gently; is able to separate individual calves from a mob with minimum of disruption and stress to rest of mob

·          Assistance willingly provided with weighing, dehorning, ear marking, drenching and vaccinating

·         All of the above will be evidenced by records, observations and feedback from employer, other farm staff and farm professionals

Assists with milking to maximise milk quality, production and animal welfare

·         Always sets up, maintains and washes down the Dairy Shed, yard, milking machine, cups, rubberware, pipe work and silos to a very clean and tidy standard, in the proper manner (as per instructions in the Shed) and at the correct times.

·         Ensures all Dairy Company requirements are met including milk quality and production requirements, chilling and pick-up times are met, advisory reports are monitored acted on and reported to the Manager

·         The herd is bought in from (no cows left behind) and returned to the paddocks each day in a safe manner, utilising excellent stockmanship skills

·         The herd is milked each day at the correct time, in a proper manner to minimise under or over milking, teats sprayed and the process is efficient, quiet, safe and comfortable

·         Mastitis, lameness and other disorders are identified and treated early

·         Ensures any likelihood of contaminated milk is advised immediately to the Manager

·         All of the above will be evidenced by Dairy Company production dockets, reports to the Manager, and feedback from farm workers and farm professionals

Effective assistance with mating

·         Bulling cows successfully identified

·         Cows tail painted as needed (every day in the AI period, every second day with bull matings, weekly after mating is over)

·         Cows on heat identified and drafted out for AI, non-cycling cows advised to Manager and accurate records maintained

·         Appropriate assistance provided to the AI technician and accurate records maintained

·         Follow-up bulls identified and rotated as instructed

·         Bulls are managed in a safe and proper manner to minimise health and safety risks to all people and animals on the property

·         All of the above will be evidenced by records, observations and feedback from employer, Manager and farm professionals

Assists with achieving a high standard of feeding, pasture, run-off and land management

·         Feeds animals without waste to meet their nutritional requirements and to maximise production

·         Topping/mowing tasks are completed as required

·      Feed and Pasture surpluses and shortages are identified and advised to Manager to ensure stocking rates are balanced

·      Effectively controls and/or eradicates weeds safely

·      Water troughs and effluent ponds operation and performances are regularly checked, any potential problems are escalated to the Manager immediately

·      Drainage, fencing, water supply, regrassing, building and race development work is completed as per the programme

Handles , repairs and maintains buildings, vehicles, tracks, fences, gates, races, tapes, plant and machinery

appropriately

·           Treats buildings, vehicles, tracks, fences, gates, races, tapes, tools, plant and machinery with care, keeps them safe, clean, and maintained in good working order

·         Competently uses vehicles and machinery for their intended purpose and to their level – eg: rides 2-wheeler bikes and quads, drives a tractor, etc

·         Demonstrates an understanding of the basic maintenance requirements of vehicles and machinery – eg: oil, water, tyres, servicing, etc

·         Identifies defects, breakages and when a vehicle or machine is not operating properly and notifies the Manager

·         Tools used on the farm are maintained in good working order and are returned after use

·         All of the above will be evidenced by observations and feedback from the Employer, Manager, farm workers and farm professionals

Assist in managing the irrigating of the property

·           Operate and maintain tractors, irrigators, and hose trailers in a safe and efficient manner

·           Move irrigator and hose to next position

·           Operate pumps or irrigation water supply in correct manner

·         Identifies problems and potential problems and brings them to the attention of the Manager

·         Maintains a weekly and monthly service schedule over irrigation season

·         All of the above will be evidenced by observations and feedback from the Manager, farm workers and farm professionals

Assist with achieving high standard of effluent management

·           Effluent is managed and discharged in accordance to council (Ecan) requirements

·           Shed and yard discharge area is kept tidy

·           Effluent pumping system is maintained in good working order

·           Travelling effluent irrigators are maintained in good working order; is moved regularly and not left to sit in one position that will cause ponding; nozzles working correctly and kept free of debris

·           All of the above will be evidenced by records, observations and feedback from employer, Manager and farm professionals

Displays a great attitude and works as an effective member of the team

·         Effectively supervisors Relief Milkers in the absence of the Manager

·         Effective undertaking of day to day work in conjunction with the Manager

·         Participates in regular meetings with the Manager to discuss results and future planning in a full, open and honest manner

·         Works cooperatively and positively with animals, other staff and the Employer

·         Demonstrates an understanding of the pressures that others face from time to time, by helping out

·         Is constantly aware of what’s going on around himself / herself; notices problems and fixes them

·         Generally, cares about people, animals, the environment, the farm and the success of the business

·         Is punctual, reliable and honest

·         Demonstrates a commitment to increasing knowledge and learning about cows, environmental factors and general farm skills

·         All of the above will be evidenced by observations and feedback from the Employer, Manager, farm workers and farm professionals

Demonstrates an awareness of the “business” aspects of the farm

·         Minimises wastage in all areas

·         Understands how the various aspects of the role contribute to a profitable, dairy farm

·         Demonstrates an awareness of costs and saves unnecessary costs (eg: unnecessary vehicle or machinery costs through misuse, does not waste product, identifies animal illnesses early to avoid unnecessary costs down track, etc)

·         All of the above will be evidenced by observations and feedback from Employer, farm workers and farm professionals

Achieves an excellent health & safety record

·         Is fully aware of all health & safety issues relating to him/herself

·         Hazard identification and management practices are followed

·         Is fully trained in all health & safety hazards and procedures that relate to him/her and adheres to all procedures

·         Achieves a zero lost time injury rate

·         Achieves a zero “avoidable” accident rate

·         All of the above will be evidenced by observations and feedback from Employer, Manager, farm workers and farm professionals

Effectively cares for the environment, utilising the best practice possible with the equipment provided

·         Understands and can effectively operate farm systems (e.g.: effluent, irrigation, etc)

·         Identifies problems and potential problems and brings them to the attention of the Farm Owner

·         No breaches of compliance, due to the individual’s incorrect use of equipment or systems

·         All of the above will be evidenced by observations and feedback