Dairy Farm Worker

Job Overview

Job Description

Dairy Farm Worker
Start dates: ASAP

Location: Preston, near Kirkham
Hours: 04:30 -17:00, 50 hours per week (early starts). Expectation to work one weekend day every couple of weeks.
Pay: 13.00 to 14.00 per hour (depending on experience)

Employment type: Full-time, 12 week temp-to-perm role (permanent after 12 weeks of employment based on performance and attendance)

Key purpose

• To assist with daily milking (three times per day) and general dairy farm operations to maintain herd health, hygiene and farm efficiency.
Main responsibilities
• Milking cows three times daily, ensuring milking routines and udder hygiene are followed.
• Carry out general husbandry: bedding cubicles, cleaning pens, feeding, and recording animal observations.
• Assist with calf care and youngstock management (feeding, bedding, monitoring).
• Routine cleaning and maintenance of the parlour, milk equipment and milk handling areas to meet hygiene standards.
• Operate and assist in the maintenance of farm machinery and tools safely (tractors, feeders, loaders, scrapers, pressure washers), and report faults.
• Assist with basic agricultural tasks as and when required (bedding, fence checks, water troughs, slurry management).
• Monitor herd health and report any concerns to Farm Manager; assist with routine treatments and foot trimming when required.
• Complete daily records (milk yields, treatments, feeding, health checks) as directed.
• Follow all health & safety, biosecurity and food safety procedures at all times.
• Cover occasional weekend and bank-holiday duties as part of a rota.

Skills and experience

• Previous experience in a dairy or livestock environment desirable but not essential; full training can be provided.
• Comfortable with early starts and physically demanding work; able to lift, bend and spend long periods standing.
• Basic animal husbandry knowledge and an eye for animal welfare.
• Basic mechanical aptitude and ability to use farm equipment safely.
• Good communication skills and ability to work as part of a small team.
• Flexible, reliable and able to work unsupervised when required.
• Driving licence desirable (for driving farm vehicles where required).

Qualifications

• No formal qualifications required; agriculture-related qualifications (NVQ Level 1 2 or equivalent) or previous milking experience advantageous.
• Basic literacy and numeracy for record keeping.

Working conditions and benefits
• Physically demanding role; outdoors and in animal housing, in all weather conditions.
• PPE and any necessary training provided (FOH, manual handling, health & safety).
• Opportunities for training and development within the business.