Dairy Farm Worker, Preston

Dairy Farm Worker

Location: Preston West
Hours: 04:30 -17:00, 50 hours per week (early starts). Expectation to work one weekend day every couple of weeks.
Pay: 12.71 to 14.00 per hour (depending on experience)
Employment type: Full-time, 12 week temp-to-perm role (permanent after 12 weeks of employment based on performance and attendance)

Expected start date: Monday, 22nd June 2026
Key purpose

To assist with daily milking (three times per day) and general dairy farm operations to maintain herd health, hygiene and farm efficiency.
Main responsibilities
Milking cows three times daily, ensuring milking routines and udder hygiene are followed.
Carry out general husbandry: bedding cubicles, cleaning pens, feeding, and recording animal observations.
Assist with calf care and youngstock management (feeding, bedding, monitoring).
Routine cleaning and maintenance of the parlour, milk equipment and milk handling areas to meet hygiene standards.
Operate and assist in the maintenance of farm machinery and tools safely (tractors, feeders, loaders, scrapers, pressure washers), and report faults.
Assist with basic agricultural tasks as and when required (bedding, fence checks, water troughs, slurry management).
Monitor herd health and report any concerns to Farm Manager; assist with routine treatments and foot trimming when required.
Complete daily records (milk yields, treatments, feeding, health checks) as directed.
Follow all health & safety, biosecurity and food safety procedures at all times.
Cover occasional weekend and bank-holiday duties as part of a rota.

Skills and experience

Previous experience in a dairy or livestock environment desirable but not essential; full training can be provided.
Comfortable with early starts and physically demanding work; able to lift, bend and spend long periods standing.
Basic animal husbandry knowledge and an eye for animal welfare.
Basic mechanical aptitude and ability to use farm equipment safely.
Good communication skills and ability to work as part of a small team.
Flexible, reliable and able to work unsupervised when required.
Driving licence desirable (for driving farm vehicles where required).

Qualifications

No formal qualifications required; agriculture-related qualifications (NVQ Level 1 2 or equivalent) or previous milking experience an advantage.
Basic literacy and numeracy for record keeping.
Working conditions and benefits
Physically demanding role; outdoors and in animal housing, in all weather conditions.
PPE and any necessary training provided (FOH, manual handling, health & safety).
Opportunities for training and development within the business.