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There is no magic to getting workers to do exactly what you want. It’s possible by simply executing good management. But you’ll need help from a few key workers who can assist if you’ve put them in the right position within your management scheme.
Replacing key employees or hiring a new herdsman can cause turmoil for you and the rest of your workers.
When necessary, promoting good workers from within your staff to key middle management positions works better than hiring an “unknown quantity” from another dairy.
Not only do you know more about a potential candidate because he or she has a history with you, but you also have a person who is already familiar with you and the “culture” of your dairy.
However, the adjustment required by both you and the employee is significant and the preparation to make the change should not be underestimated.
While paying off-farm professionals to trim feet on your herd may be cost-effective, relying upon them to treat lame cows is probably not profitable. Lame cows produce less milk, suffer from pain and may become chronic problems unless the issue is dealt with immediately and treated correctly.
Waiting even a couple of days for your foot trimmer to return and treat a lame cow is much more costly than training one of your workers to handle lame cows as part of the work routine.
In a recent edition of El Lechero, I wrote an article for your herdsmen clarifying that following treatment protocols is not only a guideline, it is the law about treating sick cows on your dairy. I identified that when protocols are not followed, overuse (unnecessary expense), violative residues and illegal use of medications prescribed by your veterinarian are costly consequences. But to get to that point, you must write, train and monitor treatment protocol use by your herdsmen on your dairy.
Write treatment protocols
Whether an excuse or well-intentioned confidence in your herdsmens’ experience, too often I find no written treatment protocols on dairies that I visit. “He knows how to treat sick cows” or “My vet handles that” or “Those are just picky details” are not adequate explanations for lack of written treatment protocols.
“Great herdsmen rely upon more than just their skill and experience; they depend upon their attitude …to do things right all the time.” This is the theme of an article I wrote for your herdsman in the May 2011 issue of El Lechero.
While you give lots of responsibilities to your herdsman, making decisions may be the most difficult part of his job. If he is a “good cowman,” then helping him decide if, when and how to treat sick cows requires that you provide guidelines, training and support for him.
Improved antibiotic testing methodology, which utilizes liquid chromatography, now allows milk to be screened for more than 26 different antibiotics and other residues.
Although use of this new technology is not mandated, what if it were?
Judicious and correct use of medications to treat lactating cows is not only prudent but crucial for every dairyman now and in the future.
