If you’re an animal person, it might be time to consider a rewarding career in the Australian agriculture industry. After all, dairy farmers don’t just keep Australians’ bellies full; they also spend their workdays looking after the cows in their care!
Perks of Working with Cows
By locking down a job as a dairy farmer, you can work alongside cows, ensuring they’re happy, establishing bonds with them, and making sure they’re in healthy environments. Providing the best care for animals is a key part of the role of a dairy farmer – it’s essential, not only for each individual farm and their business, but also to the dairy industry!
How Farmers Look After Dairy Cows
Farmers know the importance of looking after their cows, carefully monitoring their health and welfare by:
- Taking actions to prevent diseases entering their farms and infecting animals.
- Vaccinating against common diseases.
- Feeding cows a nutritious diet, which provides the nutrients needed to produce milk and help prevent disease.
- Building good laneways for the cows to walk along to prevent foot issues.
- Practicing good hygiene while milking cows to prevent mastitis.
- Planting trees to provide shade for cows on hot days.
- Working with skilled vets to help treat animals that get sick.
Insider Insights from Almira Dall
We think a career that allows you to spend all day with cows sounds pretty ideal, but don’t just take it from us! Western Australian dairy farmer Almira Dall shares why she loves taking care of livestock:
“I applied to work on a dairy farm because I thought it would be good experience and knowledge. It turned out to be exactly what I wanted. Dairy farming is more than just a job for me. I believe ‘getting to know’ the cows as individuals rather than as a group allowed me to navigate the ebbs and flows of my livestock.
Having that closeness with the livestock you work with isn’t common on other production systems, and it’s something I think both animal and handler benefit from in the long run.”
Even More Reasons to Love Dairy Farming
In our opinion, the opportunity to work alongside animals is reason enough to consider a career in Australian dairy. However, if you need a few more reasons before you commit, we can absolutely deliver!
You’ll Be Feeding the Nation
If you’ve ever whipped up a delicious meal from scratch or cultivated a successful vegetable garden, you know the rewarding feeling you get from contributing to the nation’s food!
When working as a dairy farmer, you’ll be keeping Australian fridges well-stocked with plenty of milk, butter, yogurt, ice cream, and other dairy-based treats! Essentially, you’ll be stepping into something bigger than just a job; you’ll join a passionate community of dairy farmers and workers who are proud to keep Australian bellies fed.
You’ll Make a Real Difference
With the responsibility of providing the country with dairy and keeping your herd happy, you’ll never feel as if your work is pointless. Rather, you’ll know that you have an important (and extremely rewarding) mission that needs to be accomplished!
With this in mind, it’s a lot easier to stay motivated, feel satisfied at work, and feel happy when waking up for work in the morning.
You’ll Spend Your Workdays Getting Strong and Fit
Dairy farming is physical work and serves as a great way to get fit without spending hours at the gym! Instead of spending all day at a desk, you’ll be on your feet, getting active, and reaping the benefits.
You’ll Work Outdoors Everyday
If you love spending time in nature, soaking up the sun (and who doesn’t?), a life on the farm will suit you perfectly! What’s more, working outdoors has been linked to lower stress levels, reduced blood pressure and improved immune function; how good is that?
You’ll Join an Industry That Supports Rural Communities
The dairy industry helps keep communities thriving by providing jobs to people within local dairy regions, which not only encourages people to stick around in our beautiful rural regions, but also keeps money within smaller communities. Essentially, it’s a win-win.
Start Your Dairy Journey Today
With all of these enticing job perks, we expect that you’ll want to start on your application ASAP! To check out a tonne of exciting dairy farming opportunities and pathways, head over to the Australian Dairy employer profile; trust us, you won’t regret it.
