Unconventional milking times

[farmboy]

Does anyone milk at what would be probably considered unconventional times? Something I’ve always wondered about as I would personally prefer a late night over an early start ( god knows why I became an herdsman!!). Especially during the summer when we get bad flies/heat in the afternoon and always feel late afternoon is some of the best grazing. Maybe something like 9am/9pm or 10am/10pm? Not saying I don’t manage to get up mind!

 

[Milkcow365]

I think it’s more common in Ireland? Plenty would put the kids to school then milk.

 

[Farmer Fin]

Used to have a client who started milking at 9 in the morning. You would then go and to their routine at 12 as they were finishing. It was handy from that point of view for us. The pain was the evenings if they got a sick cows or an issue as they didn’t start again till gone 6 at night. 3 brothers and that was what the one that milked wanted to do.

 

[farmboy]

I think it’s more common in Ireland? Plenty would put the kids to school then milk.

That’s what is was thinking, then in the evenings eat with the family put kids to bed before milking

 

[PDB]

Yeah, I’ve heard of the Irish just milking once on a Sunday, say at 11am.
13 milking a week system

 

[farmboy]

Used to have a client who started milking at 9 in the morning. You would then go and to their routine at 12 as they were finishing. It was handy from that point of view for us. The pain was the evenings if they got a sick cows or an issue as they didn’t start again till gone 6 at night. 3 brothers and that was what the one that milked wanted to do.

That would have been an out of hours call out ideal I’d have thought!!

 

[Dead Rabbits]

A guy I used to work for used to do 12 and 12. When I was there it was 8:30am and 7:30 pm. Hated it.

 

[Farmer Fin]

That would have been an out of hours call out ideal I’d have thought!!

They had a very laid back attitude to life and were never in a hurry, everything took ages. They were also over run with rats - I hate rats! You would get presented with a sick cow in outside yolks in the dark using a head torch as the lights were sh!t. Turn around and your torch would pick up loads of pairs of eye staring back at you.

 

[buffalo_soldier]

Neighbour of mine has always done it 9am start, 7ish pm.

2hr routine each end of the day, super simple.
Doesn't even live on site anymore.

 

[thewalrus]

farm not that far from me and the story is that two brothers used to own it. They didn’t get on, sort of stayed out of each other’s way. One miked at 1pm the other at 1am.

 

[Farmersdaughter]

We milk 7.30am and 6.30pm. Works for us as herdsman prefers evening to early morning. Think it is easier on staff not starting so early in the morning, but harder sorting scrapping up etc in evening. Read a bit about circadian rhythm in people and how doing shift work can effect it and makes you more likely to get ill. Worry people starting work at 4am could be effecting the health long term. Would love to know when is best time for cows to milked on a cow health point.

 

[thewalrus]

We milk 7.30am and 6.30pm. Works for us as herdsman prefers evening to early morning. Think it is easier on staff not starting so early in the morning, but harder sorting scrapping up etc in evening. Read a bit about circadian rhythm in people and how doing shift work can effect it and makes you more likely to get ill. Worry people starting work at 4am could be effecting the health long term. Would love to know when is best time for cows to milked on a cow health point.

early start means you get a bit of an evening after work. Especially when lighter evenings come. Eat as a family etc

 

[pappuller]

early start means you get a bit of an evening after work. Especially when lighter evenings come. Eat as a family etc

Or more hrs in the day to work [emoji23]

 

[Headless chicken]

We milk 7.30am and 6.30pm. Works for us as herdsman prefers evening to early morning. Think it is easier on staff not starting so early in the morning, but harder sorting scrapping up etc in evening. Read a bit about circadian rhythm in people and how doing shift work can effect it and makes you more likely to get ill. Worry people starting work at 4am could be effecting the health long term. Would love to know when is best time for cows to milked on a cow health point.

i start at 4-4:30am. Means I’m in before the kids go to school. I try not to milk at night so yard work youngstock and in for 4pm. milking finishes 4:30-5pm depending on who’s milking. Relief milker starts at 5am as it’s better suited to him.

 

[farmboy]

early start means you get a bit of an evening after work. Especially when lighter evenings come. Eat as a family etc

But what time do you need to go to bed to get enough sleep to consistently do 4am starts

 

[thewalrus]

But what time do you need to go to bed to get enough sleep to consistently do 4am starts

I don’t know I start 5:45/6am in morning and 3:30pm in evening, try to finished up for 6/6:15 except for disaster and round calving time.

Ive never been a night time person. I bed for 10. Even when off the next day

 

[Holsteinfriesian90]

We milk 7.30am and 6.30pm. Works for us as herdsman prefers evening to early morning. Think it is easier on staff not starting so early in the morning, but harder sorting scrapping up etc in evening. Read a bit about circadian rhythm in people and how doing shift work can effect it and makes you more likely to get ill. Worry people starting work at 4am could be effecting the health long term. Would love to know when is best time for cows to milked on a cow health point.

Glad we are not the only ones that start this time normally get laughed at for starting so late.

 

[farmboy]

I don’t know I start 5:45/6am in morning and 3:30pm in evening, try to finished up for 6/6:15 except for disaster and round calving time.

Ive never been a night time person. I bed for 10. Even when off the next day

I start 4.30 4.45 normally finish around 6.30 except for calving time but am more of an evening person so never seem to get to bed before 10.30

 

[Weasel]

How do you dairy boys manage to get up at 4 everyday??

 

[Bald Rick]

Just put robots in and relax ... time is a human construct