Rates And Expenses (Part 2)

In this segment of our five-part series, we begin by looking at the pros and cons of ‘hourly’ and ‘per-milking’ rates, and the sort of figures relief milkers should be aiming for.

Hourly Or Per Milking Rates

The choice between charging per hour or per milking is a significant decision that can impact your earnings and also the farmer’s costs. Consider the following aspects of each approach:

Per Hour

Charging per hour offers transparency in your compensation and ensures you get paid for the time spent on the job. However, it doesn’t take into account variations in the workload. For example, a sole charge milker could milk 150 cows in a 15-aside herringbone shed in about the same amount of time as 250 cows in a 25-aside, but the 250-cow job will involve more labour, simply due to the larger herd. As a safe starting point for negotiations with farmers, I would suggest between $25-$35 per hour for assistant milkers and $35-$45 for sole charge milkers, subject to experience. As I mentioned before, you don’t want to be working for peanuts, but you also don’t want to price yourself out of the market altogether. But those figures above would be a fair place to begin. An assistant reliever who has plenty of experience, knowledge, and a proven track record should be able to earn at least a firm $35 per hour. Sole chargers of the same calibre should be bringing home a minimum of $45 per hour. Naturally, if you can secure rates higher than these, grab them. With both hands.

Per Milking

Charging per milking provides a straightforward fee based on the number of milkings you complete. However, it doesn’t reflect when milkings are sometimes longer than usual, for example due to a power cut or running out of water to hose down with or other ‘hiccups’ that can occur before, during, or after milking, which can add anywhere up to an extra hour or more to the job. I have been known to be stuck on the occasional job for up to two further hours due to various ‘unforeseen circumstances’. Most farmers tend to prefer ‘per milking’ rates because they know beforehand exactly what the final bill is going to be, and they are not worrying about hours blowing out and resulting in a larger-than-expected tally. I propose an opening rate of $90-$100 per milking for assistants and $125-$130 for sole chargers, subject to experience and also the size of the job. Top-shelf assistant milkers with a positive reputation and plenty of know-how should be aiming for at least $120 per milking. For sole chargers of the same standing, $150 – this will depend a lot on herd size. While a sole charge reliever could earn a rate of $150 per milking where the herd is 230 cows, they might have a hard time justifying that for a 130-cow herd.

Per Day

This pay structure is usually reserved for sole charge farmsits. A simple flat rate that covers all the daily chores. It’s not unusual for an experienced farmsitter to earn between $400 and $500 per day, sometimes even more. On a Te Kuiti farmsit in November 2022, I was earning $500 per day during my fortnight there. The rate covered milking twice a day, topping paddocks behind the cows, and a few other small jobs. I also had the privilege of living in the nice family home with all the mod cons, and I looked after the pets. All in all, it took me no more than eight hours to complete my farm work each day, so I was earning the equivalent of approximately $60 per hour.

Public Holidays And Surcharges

If you are self-employed, you may wish to add a surcharge of 10% to 15% when you are going to be milking on a public holiday. If you are milking as an employee, then you are entitled to the legal ‘time and a half’, whether you are milking full-time, part-time, or on a casual basis.

How I Do It

For myself, as a self-employed sole charge relief milker, I prefer the ‘per milking’ rates. It keeps things nice and simple and, as I mentioned before, farmers have no concerns about hours blowing out. It’s a flat rate which covers all aspects of a standard milking: washing the milk silo, bringing the herd in, milking them, cleaning up after milking, and shutting the herd away. The rate also covers any ‘standard’ hiccups that can occur, which need attending to, such as broken water trough valves.

My rate will vary from farm to farm and can range from $135 to $220 per milking (+ GST). The rate takes into account:

The herd size
These can range anywhere from 180 to 310 cows.

The shed size
These can range anywhere from 16 to 30 bails.

How long the job should usually take
From the time I leave the shed to get the herd in, right through to when I shut them away again after milking.

The set-up of the shed, including the following facets:

Does it have ACRs (automatic cup removers)?

Does it have manual or automated teat spray?

Is there an in-shed feed system or will there be PK trailers or feed pads?

Is there drenching?

Basically, the bigger the job and the more labour involved, the higher my rate will be. And vice versa. I also charge a 15% surcharge for public holidays, herd testing, and drenching.

As for jobs outside of milking, I currently charge an hourly rate of $45-$55 depending on the task and what is involved. For simple chores like feeding out or topping, the hourly rate is $45. For jobs that require more input, such as fixing lame cows or digging in posts, the hourly rate is $55. There is a minimum charge of one hour. If the task takes less than one hour (e.g. half-an-hour), then I will find myself another job to fill up that hour so the farmer is getting his or her money’s worth. If I felt so inclined, I could nudge both my milking and extra-task rates by an extra 10% and I know that most of my clients would readily pay that, but you can be too greedy, and I am more than happy with my current figures.