Before the year comes to an end and spring calving gets underway next year, farmers should take time to review their standard operating procedures (SOPs) on farm.
A SOP is a document consisting of step-by-step instructions on how to complete a particular task, which leaves it easier for everyone working on the farm.
Farmers can create SOPs for all sorts of farm tasks, including the milking routine; washing the milking parlour; calf feeding, and many other tasks that dairy farmers perform daily.
SOPs can be very useful for day-to-day operations on the farm, as it allows for dairy farmers and their employees to work towards a common goal.
Managing staff
The growth in herd size has seen the need for many farms to hire staff, in order to ensure that their farms operates to their full potential.
However, attracting and keeping staff is an ongoing issue, with the dairy and agricultural sector as a whole.
Keeping the farm system simple is going to help with attracting and keeping staff. It is vital that there is good communication between all staff on an ongoing basis.
A well-scripted SOP will provide the following;
- Provide direction;
- Improve communication;
- Reduce training time;
- Improve consistency;
- Allow somebody to help out in the case of an emergency;
- Support a more profitable business.
There is no doubt that the start of 2024 was a stressful period for farmers, as weather conditions were poor, grass growth was stagnant and milk price was on the floor.
However, with tight SOPs in place, farmers may be able to limit this stress and focus on getting the most out of cow performance and the grazing platform early in the season.
Standard operating procedures
When making a SOP, it should be an inclusive process and everyone should be able to have a say if they are involved.
Farmers who hear out what their employees have to say will get a better response to the SOP when it is in put in place.
The seven steps to creating SOPs are as follows:
- Planning;
- First draft;
- Internal review;
- External review;
- Testing;
- Display;
- Train.
The first step, is to link the SOP with the business goal or goals that it will help achieve. A SOP on the milking routine should tie in measurements such as somatic cell count (SCC), total bacteria count (TBC) and thermoduric bacteria levels in milk.
Once the first draft is written, it should be discussed and reviewed to see if the SOP has worked, listening to hear what everyone has to say about it.
After the internal review, farmers should seek advice from their advisors or people outside of the business, like other farmers that have SOPs in place.
Have someone test the SOP by performing each step exactly as it is described, and if any step causes confusion for the tester, it should be revised.
Then a final draft of the SOP should be made and displayed in an appropriate location, so that all employees or the likes of relief milkers can clearly see.
The final step is training workers and when doing so, share the reasons why procedures must be performed correctly – not just what to do or how to do it, as workers are more likely to follow the steps exactly when they understand why they are important.