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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Dairy Herd Manager

💰 $ - $

AgricultureDairyLivestock ManagementFarm Operations

🎯 Role Definition

The Dairy Herd Manager is the on-farm leader responsible for maximizing herd productivity, animal health and welfare, and milk quality through hands-on management of daily operations, herd health programs, reproduction and calf rearing, nutrition and feed programs, and people supervision. This role combines technical dairy knowledge (nutrition, reproduction, milking systems, biosecurity) with operational leadership (staff scheduling, budgeting, record-keeping, regulatory compliance) to deliver consistent improvements in milk yield, reproductive performance, and herd longevity.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Assistant Herd Manager / Herdsman
  • Dairy Herd Technician / Milking Technician
  • Farm Supervisor or Livestock Caretaker

Advancement To:

  • Dairy Farm Manager / Operations Manager
  • Regional Dairy Operations Lead
  • Farm Owner / Agricultural Business Owner

Lateral Moves:

  • Herd Health Specialist / Veterinary Technician (large animal)
  • Nutritionist / Feed Consultant
  • Breeding & Reproduction Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Develop, implement and continuously refine a comprehensive herd health program that includes vaccination schedules, disease prevention plans, metabolic disease monitoring (e.g., ketosis, milk fever), and rapid response protocols to minimize morbidity and mortality while maintaining regulatory compliance.
  • Oversee and optimize the herd reproduction program — including heat detection strategies, synchronization protocols, artificial insemination coordination, pregnancy diagnosis follow-up, and record-based fertility performance improvement to raise conception and pregnancy rates.
  • Manage day-to-day milking operations and parlor performance, ensuring milk quality targets (SCC, bacterial counts) are met through proper milking routines, milker training, milking equipment checks, and sanitation protocols.
  • Create and implement nutrition and feed management plans in collaboration with nutritionists; adjust rations based on milk production, body condition scoring (BCS), forage analyses and seasonal feed availability to optimize production and herd health.
  • Lead calf and heifer rearing programs that include colostrum management, vaccination and dehorning protocols, growth monitoring, and transition plans to ensure heifers reach target breeding age and weight with minimal disease incidence.
  • Supervise, train and coach barn and milking staff to ensure consistent execution of animal care procedures, milking routines, safety practices and standard operating procedures (SOPs); recruit and develop personnel to reduce turnover and increase competence.
  • Maintain, monitor and analyze herd performance metrics (milk yield per cow, SCC, culling rate, reproduction KPIs, feed conversion, mortality) and produce regular performance reports with actionable recommendations for continuous improvement.
  • Operate and coordinate maintenance of dairy equipment, automated milking systems (AMS), milk cooling tanks, pumps, manure equipment and other farm machinery to minimize downtime and maintain food safety standards.
  • Enforce and document biosecurity, herd traceability and animal welfare protocols to protect herd health and meet audit, retailer and regulatory requirements.
  • Plan and manage the herd inventory, including replacement strategy, culling decisions and sourcing replacements based on production forecasts, genetics and farm economics.
  • Execute emergency response plans for animal health outbreaks, severe weather or equipment failures; coordinate with veterinarians and external advisors to make evidence-based triage and containment decisions.
  • Lead on-farm record-keeping and compliance: maintain accurate herd records (DHI, medication logs, treatment records), facilitate external audits, and ensure all animal treatments are logged according to regulatory and retailer standards.
  • Implement and manage a strategic culling and retention policy using data-driven criteria (production, health, reproduction, temperament) to optimize herd profitability and genetic progress.
  • Control and monitor herd nutrition costs and feed inventories; forecast feed needs seasonally, negotiate with suppliers and implement ration changes to control input costs while maintaining production goals.
  • Develop and implement a preventive hoof care and lameness reduction program including routine hoof trimming, footbaths and gait scoring to improve mobility and milk yield.
  • Manage manure and nutrient application operations to meet environmental regulations, reduce odor and runoff risk, and align with the farm’s sustainability and nutrient management plan.
  • Coordinate with veterinarians, nutritionists, extension agents and dairy consultants to stay current on best practices and integrate evidence-based changes into daily operations to drive herd performance improvements.
  • Establish and monitor animal comfort initiatives — stall and bedding management, ventilation, heat abatement systems and stocking density — to reduce stress and improve production and reproduction metrics.
  • Build and maintain strong records and analytics for genetic selection decisions, using data from DHI, genomic testing and performance records to recommend sire selection and herd improvement plans.
  • Manage on-farm budgets related to herd operations including labor, veterinary costs, feed expenses and capital maintenance; prepare monthly financial summaries and recommend cost-saving measures without sacrificing animal welfare.
  • Lead continuous improvement initiatives such as SOP creation, quality assurance programs, and adoption of new technologies (automated feeders, sensors, herd monitoring systems) to increase efficiency and data-driven decision making.
  • Coordinate calf transport, heifer placement and market sales while ensuring animal welfare standards and disease prevention measures are followed.
  • Oversee milking parlor and milk storage chain-of-custody procedures to ensure milk quality meets processor and regulatory specifications from collection to pickup.

Secondary Functions

  • Maintain and update herd management software and digital records to support traceability, reporting and analytics for management and external stakeholders.
  • Support onboarding, cross-training and professional development programs for staff to build redundancy and resiliency across shifts and roles.
  • Facilitate on-farm meetings with leadership and advisors to set quarterly targets, review KPIs and align herd plans with overall farm financial goals.
  • Assist with capital planning and procurement decisions for herd-related infrastructure improvements (bedding systems, milking upgrades, ventilation) by preparing needs assessments and ROI analyses.
  • Participate in community and industry engagement representing the farm at extension meetings, buyer visits and regional dairy groups to promote the farm's practices and leverage benchmarking data.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Herd health management: vaccination planning, disease surveillance, medical treatment protocols and collaboration with herd veterinarian.
  • Reproduction & breeding management: estrus detection, AI coordination, synchronization protocols and pregnancy diagnosis.
  • Nutrition & ration formulation knowledge: ability to work with feed analyses, TMR management and make ration adjustments.
  • Milking system operation: parlor management, automatic milking systems (AMS), milking hygiene and milk quality control (SCC monitoring).
  • Calf and heifer rearing: colostrum management, neonatal care, growth monitoring and weaning practices.
  • Data-driven herd analytics: familiarity with DHI records, herd management software (e.g., DairyComp, PC-DART, Afimilk, SCR), and KPI tracking.
  • Biosecurity & animal welfare protocols: implementation and enforcement of biosecurity, humane handling and welfare standards.
  • Hoof care and lameness prevention: understanding of trimming schedules, footbath management and mobility scoring.
  • Environmental compliance & manure management: nutrient management planning and regulatory adherence.
  • Equipment maintenance & basic mechanical skills: troubleshoot and coordinate service for milkers, pumps, generators and feeders.
  • Record keeping & regulatory compliance: medication logs, treatment records, audit preparation and product traceability.
  • Budgeting & cost control: feed budgeting, inventory forecasting and expense tracking for herd operations.

Soft Skills

  • Leadership and team development: motivate, mentor and hold staff accountable to high animal care and performance standards.
  • Communication: clear written and verbal reporting to owners, veterinarians, nutritionists and staff.
  • Problem solving and critical thinking: rapidly diagnose herd-level issues and implement corrective action plans.
  • Decision making under pressure: prioritize animal welfare and production outcomes when unexpected events occur.
  • Time management and organization: balance daily operational tasks with strategic planning and reporting.
  • Attention to detail: ensure accuracy in records, treatments and SOP adherence to protect herd health and milk quality.
  • Adaptability and continuous learning: adopt new technologies and best practices to improve productivity.
  • Conflict resolution: manage personnel issues and maintain a productive, safety-focused work environment.
  • Analytical mindset: use production and financial data to drive improvements in herd performance and profitability.
  • Coaching and teaching: train staff in milking routines, animal handling and safety procedures.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or equivalent with significant hands-on dairy experience.

Preferred Education:

  • Associate or Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science, Dairy Science, Agriculture, Veterinary Technology or related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Animal Science
  • Dairy Science
  • Agriculture / Agribusiness
  • Veterinary Technology

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 3–10 years of progressive dairy farm experience with at least 2–3 years in a supervisory or lead role.

Preferred:

  • 5+ years managing a dairy herd (size varying by farm) with demonstrated success in improving milk production, reproductive performance and herd health metrics; experience with DHI programs and herd management software is highly desirable.
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