Stockmanship covers interactions between cows and people, see below for the different areas within Stockmanship.

Getting the cows in and out

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  Moving cattle

  Guidance to help increase work efficiency and reduce stress, lameness and injuries.

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  Multiple mobs

  Tips to manage multiple mobs in a way that will minimise their impact on the milking routine.

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  Training heifers

  Heifers are valuable stock and their introduction to the milking herd requires time and patience.

Stockmanship in the dairy

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  Dairy environs

  Creating a good dairy environment is key to an efficient milking. This includes dairy design and milker behaviour.

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  Milk Let Down

  The milk let down reflex stimulates milk flow from the alveoli in the udder into the teat canal.

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  Teat washing

  Teat preparation before milking can involve the cleaning and/or massaging of teats before the cups are attached.

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  Cluster attachment

  Attaching clusters is a major part of the milking routine and if not done correctly can cause teat damage, cup slipping, and lead to mastitis.

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  Cluster removal

  All milkers should know how to remove clusters correctly - clusters which are left on too long result in over-milking, liner creep and teat end damage.

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  Teat Spraying

  Teat spraying is critical for maintaining teat skin health and controlling mastitis during lactation.

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  Managing animal health

  Ensuring animal health issues are dealt with effectively is very important, particularly as herd sizes become larger.

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  Drenching in the milking routine

  If done correctly the drenching process can be fitted into the normal milking routine with ease and without any substantial increase in milking times.

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  Tail management

  You can achieve a safe and comfortable working environment for people, with minimal impact on your time or milking routine, by trimming tails.