A recently launched regional farm training facility based in south Wicklow will host a best practises in milking course taking place over two-days during the month of June. The course is delivered in conjunction with FRS Training, Animal Health Ireland, and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The purpose of this QQI Level 6 award programme is to equip the learner with the knowledge, skill and competence to autonomously perform and manage the dairy herd milking process integrating key milking techniques with required
milk quality, food safety, dairy herd health and dairy cow welfare for commercial Irish dairy herds. If you’re comfortable with the basics of putting on clusters, starting the machine, and washing up, but want to expand your knowledge and refine your techniques, then the course should be highly suitable. The course takes place in FRS Training, Hillbrook Hub, Coolboy, Co Wicklow, on Wednesday, June 24 and Thursday, June 25, while a written exam will be taking place on Tuesday, July 21. 100 hours of milking
experience is required and each learner who attends this course must also have access to a milking parlour of their choice for the practical assessment part of this course. Participants must also be aged 16 or over. The course is ideal for farm workers looking to develop their skills, relief milkers who wat to improve efficiency and best practises, and farmers eager to enhance herd health, milk quality and parlour management. Through the course, participants will be able to evaluate the factors that affect milk
composition in the cow, milk quality and food safety in the context of internationally recognised standards, Irish milk processor quality assurance and milk quality standards required under legislation. They will also be able to assess best practice for managing sickness and abnormal behaviour in dairy cows in the herd and communications required for third parties. The course will also allow participants to appraise best practice bio-security measures necessary to maintain a disease free herd, while they will also be provided with the knowledge which will
allow them to assess situations where disease in milking animals pose risk to milk production, quality, operator and consumer health. FRS Training only recently launched the new training location at Hillbrook Hub, which serve farmers and agricultural workers in Wicklow and surrounding areas, providing access to essential agricultural and health and safety courses. The course costs €300 to attend and you can book your place by visiting the FRS Training website.
Wicklow, milking course, best practises, QQI Level 6, FRS Training, Hillbrook Hub, Animal Health Ireland, Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine