Herdsperson - Abbotts Manor Dairy Farm, Leckford Estate

Job description

Job Type

Agriculture

Region

South East England

Location

Leckford

Preferred Hours

Full Time

Partnership Level

10

Closing Date

6/2/2020

Vacancy Type

Permanent

APPLY NOW  

Salary

£8.35 - £11.47

Salary Frequency

per hour

Hours of Work

55 hour week, however, flexibility is required from candidates.
11 out of 14 days, to include every other weekend.
Earliest start 03:30
Latest finish 18:30

Duties & Responsibilities

The Leckford Estate is about 1,100 hectares in size (with a further 400+ hectares contract farmed) and, as well as producing milk, it also processes milk (albeit milk produced off the Estate) and produces a diverse range of other agricultural products, mostly for sale through Waitrose:

- 600 hectares of combinable crops (including wheat that is milled to produce flour)
- Cold-pressed rapeseed oil (grown, pressed and bottled on the Estate)
- 22 hectares of orchards producing dessert apples and pears (with second class fruit used for juice and cider)
- 7 hectares of vines producing grapes for Leckford Estate sparkling wine
- 27 tonnes per week of brown mushrooms

Abbotts Manor Dairy (AMD) is still a relatively young enterprise on the Estate having opened in October 2006. There is nevertheless a long history of dairy production on the Leckford Estate and prior to AMD there were two 200-cow Holstein Friesian herds on the Estate. With the opening of the £3.5 million dairy complex on a greenfield site in 2006, these two herds were combined with a further 200 bought-in cows to give a single herd of nearly 600 cows, milked through a 48-point Westfalia rotary parlour.

The herd currently sits at 500 head and AMD produces more than 4.5 million litres of milk annually. This milk is processed by Muller along with milk from nearly 50 other Waitrose Dairy Farmers, with the end-product appearing in stores as essential Waitrose Milk.

As well as the 500 milking cows, the Estate therefore also carries around 400 followers and beef cattle. Calves are reared on milk replacer using hutches. Post-weaning, the dairy heifers and beef cattle are grazed and winter-housed on the Estate.

Job Requirements

This opportunity is part of a team of nine full-time roles in the AMD team and is an important role in the operation and success of Abbotts Manor Dairy, one of the high profile enterprises on the Estate and, indeed, one of the high profile dairies in the UK. Consequently, the successful candidate will need to have proven experience as a herdsperson or assistant herdsperson and have good practical dairy cow skills.

The role requires someone who:
- Has proven operational experience at a comparable level
- Has a good practical knowledge of dairy farming and is very much focused on cow health, welfare and production
- Shows attention to detail in all aspects of their work and a commitment to excellence in all areas
- Is committed to putting in the effort required to be part of a successful dairy team
- Is flexible and adaptable
- Is always willing to learn and develop
- Is a committed team-player
- Has good health and safety awareness
- Has a good understanding of the Partnership and/or of Partnership values
rship values

Required essential experience skills and qualifications

- Full driving licence
- Safe use of telescopic handler
- Safe use of ATV
- Milking a herd of >250 cows
- Being responsible for calving cows
- Working as part of a team of >4

Required desirable experience skills and qualifications

- Minimum level 1 diploma in agriculture
- Dairy skills, e.g. AI, foot trimming
- Practical skills, e.g. AI, foot trimming
- Record-keeping (paper & computer)
- Machinery/equipment maintenance Job Description  

APPLY NOW