Start your planning well before hand to reduce the rush and panic of getting everything done when the first cow calves.
- Sign employment agreements for new employees for the new season
- Have an orientation plan for new staff and plan training to ensure the whole team knows what they have to do during spring and the standards expected
- Organise time off for the spring - book the relief milker
- Make sure the calf shed is set up for the calf rearer:
- New bedding material
- New teats for calfeterias
- Calfeterias and utensils cleaned
- Iodine/electrolytes etc purchased
- Meal, hay and fresh water. - Order everyday supplies for spring:
- CausMag and limeflour
- Milk fever treatments
- Mastitis treatments
- Filter socks
- Detergents. - Make sure protective gear is available and has been replaced/repaired or updated if required
- Service all motorbikes and machinery, get milking machines checked, order new/change rubberware - breakdowns take time
- Remember human nutrition, particularly for young staff - everyone needs three nutritious meals to get through the day. If your staff are too tired during this time or aren't capable of cooking, then a plan needs to be sorted out to ensure your staff get fed well to sustain them through the day.
- Organise a calving pack that stays in the paddock. See the Getting the most out of your cows and calves in the Spring Survival Guide for more information.
- Communicate, communicate, communicate! Often and little to let people know what is going on.
Remember to thank them for their hard work and praise their success.
Have a meeting with staff before calving to discuss how the spring will go. Discuss topics such as:
- Daily routine
- Calving spread
- Checking springer mobs
- Milking colostrum cows
- Spring Rotation Planner. Click here to view.