Why Choose Relief Milking?

Relief milking is not only a valuable service within the dairy sector, but it can also be a profitable and fulfilling trade for those who are committed and skilled. Let’s have a peek at the various benefits in selecting relief milking as a vocation.

Flexible Working Hours

One of the primary advantages of relief milking is the freedom it offers when it comes to managing your work schedule.

Part-Time Or Full-Time

Relievers can choose to work as few or as many hours as they wish. This flexibility presents them with numerous advantages, such as allowing them to maintain other income streams or allocate more time for family pursuits or personal interests. Relief milking is proving to be a popular option for high school and university students looking for part-time work during their weekends or holidays. It’s also ideal for backpackers and camper-vanners who are seeking casual employment to cover their living expenses as they travel around the country.

Multiple Clients

Most relief milkers will usually work for a number of different farmers. Some relievers can have anywhere up to fifteen to twenty clients on their books, if not more. This healthy diversification of clientele can help to sustain a stable income should two or more farms reduce (or even forgo) the need for relievers, perhaps due to economic challenges or maybe the farm has been sold and is subsequently under new management.

Excellent Income

There is always a demand for quality relief milkers, particularly those who are self-motivated and driven to succeed. These individuals have no trouble in securing a reliable and steady source of income and taking home anywhere up to $10,000 or more each month, depending on the number of days that they choose to work.

‘But how on earth’, I hear you ask, ‘can dairy farmers afford to pay that sort of money?’

Because the typical relief milker won’t always be working for the same farmer every day.

Case in point: A good friend of mine, who has been relief milking for a number of years now, worked for a total of twenty-one days spread throughout the month of December 2024, for six different farmers. All properties were milking to a twice-a-day routine. She would spend a few days milking on one farm, a few days on another, and so on. She was earning $320 to $380 per day between those six properties, doing sole charge and assistant milkings, the herds ranging from around 210 to 600 cows. In total, she earned just over $7,600 (+ GST and mileage).

But it wasn’t the one single farmer paying all that. It was six different farmers paying smaller amounts over a twenty-one-day period, adding up to $7,600 for three weeks’ worth of milking, and she was working no more than seven hours each day. That $7,600 equates to $2,533 each week. So, what did she do on the other ten days in December? She gave herself those days off so she could do her own thing, such as relaxing, enjoying some sleep-ins, and spending the Christmas holidays with family.

We can also see that if she had milked for all thirty-one days in December, she would have made a comfortable $10,000 and that’s before the surcharge that she would have added for being on duty on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. In fact, she often works four to five weeks at a time, after which she will allow herself ten to fourteen days off for some proper time out before getting back into more milkings. I believe two of her clients have autumn-calving herds, so she can have milkings all through the year if she so chose. You can probably calculate the sort of revenue she is capable of making over twelve months, just doing standard milkings.

Relief milkers are commonly paid either hourly or ‘per milking’. Experienced relievers can justify higher rates. As you gain expertise and build a positive reputation, your earning potential increases. Depending on your availability and preferences, you may choose to work more shifts or longer hours to seriously boost your income, especially during the ‘flush’ or that stage of the season when milk production is at its peak. Alternatively, you may choose to work fewer hours for a better work-life balance. You will still earn a very good income, especially when you compare it to the salaries of full-time farm personnel. Experienced sole charge relief milkers can work only a few hours a day, a few days each week, yet they are able to earn as much, if not more, as many full-time farm managers who work longer hours, seven days a week.

Extra Income Opportunities

Many relievers provide supplementary services beyond milking, such as the rearing of young livestock, fixing lame animals, topping paddocks, spraying weeds, or general farm maintenance. These additional duties naturally lead to additional income. Undertaking extra work can be beneficial during the ‘dry period’, when clients’ dairy livestock have ceased milk production for the season, in preparation for calving, kidding, or lambing, as the case may be. Milking may be on pause for several weeks, but in the meantime there will still be plenty of other farm work to do, including feeding out for the livestock, fencing, processing firewood, the maintaining or servicing of farm vehicles and machinery, the installation of new water troughs and waterlines. And of course, there is the small matter of getting the facilities ready for the new arrivals.

In reference to the ‘dry period’ aforementioned, this can vary from farm to farm. For example, all your clients have spring-calving herds and they have dried their cows off for the season. But chances are, there will be autumn-calving herds somewhere in the same area that are getting into full swing. In addition, a number of spring-calving farms will also have a separate smaller herd that will milk through their traditional dry period while the main herd is on ‘holiday’, thus allowing those properties to produce milk all twelve months of the year. So in essence, there is scope for relief milkings throughout the entire year, as you switch between spring-calving and autumn-calving herds.

Cows, Goats, & Sheep

When one thinks of relief milking, they will normally associate it with cows. But New Zealand also has dairy goat and dairy sheep farms dotting the countryside. And even deer and water buffalo have established firm niches in the dairy market. Therefore, if you are primarily used to milking cows, consider adding another string to your bow and have a go at milking goats or sheep, or―if you are lucky (and brave) enough to have the opportunity―perhaps even some deer and buffalo. And vice versa. If milking goats or sheep have been your mainstay, try stepping into a cowshed.

By getting yourself involved in each of these areas of dairying, you will be increasing both your knowledge and your sources of income. It will also give you a nice variety of animals to work with. You could find yourself milking cows for a couple weeks, then sheep for a week, goats for another week or so after that, and then back to cows for a bit.

Change Of Scenery

Relief milkers have the ability to work on different farms and in different areas. This is one of my favourite aspects of relief milking. I get to go to a variety of farms and milk in a variety of sheds, and get a regular change of scenery, as well as picking up new ideas and methods from each place. When I was full-time dairy farming many moons ago, I would be milking in the same shed every working day throughout the entire season. As a reliever I can find myself milking in up to ten different sheds each month. Some will be within a few kilometres of home while others will be much further away as part of a housesitting and farmsitting job. I just love the constant shift in surroundings that relief milking offers.

Furthermore, if dairying in one area is experiencing an economic downturn due to severe weather events, such as drought or flooding, you can go explore opportunities in other areas where the dairy sector is still going strong. This is like having a safety net woven from the threads of flexibility and resilience, ensuring that no matter the circumstances, there is always a new horizon to discover and conquer in the world of relief milking.

Free Food

As a keen forager and bow hunter, milking on different farms provides me with new opportunities for topping up the fridge and freezer—for free. One farm may have lush patches of wild edible greens like amaranth, chickweed, and nettles; another place could have blackberries, hawthorns, or trees laden with walnuts, plums, pears, apples, or feijoas; a third property might be overrun with wild turkey or peacock that the farmer is only too pleased to see less of. Most farmers will also happily allow you to have one or two litres of milk from the vat, to take home for your fridge (or kitty cats). Just make a point of asking beforehand, to make sure it’s okay. Please don’t go helping yourself.

Reduced Of Overhead Costs

As a relief milker, you don’t have anywhere near the same overhead costs as contract milkers, share milkers or farm owners. You won’t need to invest in land, livestock, or extensive (and expensive) equipment. Apart from maintaining and fuelling your vehicle, about all you might need to spend money on is appropriate work gear, such as gumboots, overalls, raincoat, rain trousers, beanie, neck gaiter, merino base layer, headlamp etc. This reduction in overhead costs can result in a higher net income.

Good Work-Life Balance

While monetary rewards are naturally important, job satisfaction and an attractive work-life balance also contribute to the overall appeal of relief milking. The ability to maintain a profitable trade while enjoying a flexible schedule can greatly enhance your quality of life. Relief milking is a diverse field that offers opportunities for both full-time and part-time employment. Some people choose this path as their primary occupation, while others do it on a casual basis to supplement their income from other sources.

Working as a reliever can be a lucrative choice of profession for those who are skilled, adaptable, and committed to the role. With dedication and continuous learning, relief milkers can enjoy excellent financial returns along with a rewarding lifestyle as they establish for themselves a successful trade within the dairy sector.