Milking Assistant

GAVINS has been working alongside Kiwi farmers and growers since the 1950s. What started as a small maize operation has grown into a diverse agri-business, built on practical experience, strong relationships, and a genuine respect for the land, animals, and people we work with.

Our dairy goat farm reflects this approach. We focus on doing the basics well – caring properly for our animals, looking after our people, and continually improving how we operate. We milk 3,000 goats through a modern rotary shed, with purpose-built housing and kidding facilities and a strong emphasis on animal welfare. It's a big operation run by a tight team, and we take pride in doing it properly.

We're looking for Milking Assistants to join our shed team. We've built the roster around a team of seven milkers, which means most days you're on one milking – not both – and you're never working more than six days in a row. If you've milked before and you like the rhythm of shed work, we'd love to hear from you.

How the Roster Works

• Two milkings a day, covered across a team of seven milkers plus dedicated feed staff
• You'll work 10 days a fortnight – a four-day week and a six-day week
• Most days are a single milking, either the morning or the afternoon, and it varies across the fortnight
• Around one double shift (morning and afternoon) per fortnight
• Never more than six days in a row
• A full weekend off most fortnights

What You'll Be Doing

• Milking 3,000 goats through our rotary shed
• Cupping on and off, teat spraying, and keeping the milking running to time
• Washdown and plant cleaning – handing the shed over in the condition you'd want to find it
• Keeping an eye on the herd through the shed: picking up lame, sick or off-colour animals, and flagging mastitis early
• Drafting and recording, and helping keep our milk quality where it should be
• Lending a hand with general farm work around the milking – feeding, kid rearing during kidding, and other jobs as they come up

What We're Looking For

• Experience milking – dairy is what we're after, dairy goats even better
• Someone who's fine with early starts and with a roster that moves between morning and afternoon shifts
• A strong work ethic – punctual, and someone the team can count on to front up and get through the milking
• A calm, patient way with animals and a genuine commitment to their wellbeing
• Good attention to detail, particularly around hygiene and milk quality
• Physically fit and capable of hands-on farm work
• Own reliable transport and a valid driver's licence

What's In It for You

• A positive, down-to-earth team that values your contribution
• A modern rotary shed and gear that's well looked after
• A properly built roster – one milking most days, and real time off you can plan around
• Ongoing training and potential qualification support