Most dairy farms are training their teams.
They’re holding sessions, reviewing protocols and preparing for audits. On paper, the boxes are checked. On the ground, the same issues persist: missed steps, inconsistent execution, repeated corrective actions.
The problem isn’t a lack of training. It’s a lack of understanding.
“When timing is tight, which it usually is on a dairy farm, training becomes about getting through the steps of the job, not building understanding, and it often happens too late or too far apart to really stick,” says Michelle Schack, dairy cow veterinarian and founder of DairyKind, a training resource for dairies.
Across many operations, training is built around urgency. The audit is coming. The team needs a refresher. Protocols are reviewed quickly, often in a single session, with a focus on what to do and what not to do.
This approach creates a necessary foundation but also leaves a critical gap. Employees may know the steps, but they don’t always know why they’re being asked to perform them.
From Compliance to Understanding
“Dip the navel.”
“Don’t stress cows.”
“Give the shot here.”
These instructions are clear, repeatable and easy to audit. But without context, they are also easy to forget, misapply or ignore under pressure.
Training that focuses only on protocols asks employees to memorize. Training that includes the “why” asks them to understand.
“This isn’t a motivation problem. People generally want to do the right thing for the animals they are caring for. This is an understanding problem. We often assume knowledge that was never actually taught,” Schack explains.
When employees understand the biological or physiological reason behind a task, compliance becomes more consistent. Decision-making improves in situations that fall outside strict protocols. The work itself becomes more purposeful. Without that understanding, the same issues repeat.
The result is a cycle many veterinarians and producers recognize: retraining without resolution.
Where Training Breaks Down — and How to Fix It
The gap between protocol and understanding shows up in everyday tasks on dairy farms. In each case, the issue is not the protocol itself. It is what is missing behind it.
Here are some examples of everyday tasks performed on the farm, how they’re trained and improvements that could be made to the training to increase worker understanding and engagement.
Navel Dipping in Calves
Standard training: Dip the navel.
What’s missing: The umbilicus is a direct pathway into the calf’s body. Without proper disinfection, bacteria can enter and lead to systemic infection.
What changes when the “why” is explained: Employees recognize the procedure as a disease prevention step rather than a routine task and consistency improves.
If she happens to be performing a necropsy, Schack will show workers the internal structures to help them better understand why navels need to be dipped.
“You can tell someone to dip navels to prevent infection, but when they see for themselves that the navel connects directly to the liver, it changes how seriously they take that step,” she explains.
Broken Tails in Dairy Cattle
Standard training: Don’t pull tails.
What’s missing: The tail is an extension of the spine, made up of bones and joints. Excessive force can cause permanent injury.
Key issue: Many employees are unaware tails can be broken. Broken tails cannot be corrected after the fact. Prevention depends on handling practices.
“I’ve had conversations with employees that were using a calf’s tail to move the calf who were genuinely surprised to learn that tails can be broken. That moment of realization shifts how they handle calves and cows moving forward,” Schack says.
What changes when the “why” is explained: Handling behavior shifts because the risk becomes concrete rather than abstract.
Stockmanship and Milk Letdown
Standard training: Don’t stress the cows.
What’s missing: Stress activates physiological pathways that inhibit milk letdown. This slows milking and reduces parlor efficiency.
What changes when the “why” is explained: Calm handling becomes directly tied to workflow, time and performance in the parlor.
“Employees recognize that a cow that balks slows down the workflow, but they don’t always connect that to stress. When you make that link, animal well-being stops being abstract and starts being something that not only helps the cows but also makes their job easier,” Schack explains.
Injection Technique (SQ vs IM)
Standard training: Give the shot here.
What’s missing: Route of administration affects drug absorption, tissue damage and treatment effectiveness.
Key issue: Employees may not understand the difference between subcutaneous and intramuscular injections.
What changes when the “why” is explained: Accuracy improves, particularly in fast-paced situations where shortcuts are more likely.
“In a fast-paced environment, people default to what’s easiest, unless they understand why it matters. That’s what keeps accuracy from slipping,” Schack explains.
The Veterinarian’s Role in Making Training Stick
Veterinarians are positioned to translate biology into practical, actionable knowledge. Even short explanations can shift how employees approach routine tasks. However, training is not always viewed as part of the veterinary role. Time is limited. Priorities compete.
Producers also influence how training is delivered.
When farms involve veterinarians in training conversations, not just for protocols but for explanation, the information is more likely to be applied. The reasoning carries weight when it is grounded in biology and delivered by a trusted source.
For producers, that may mean asking a simple question during the next visit: Can you help explain the “why” behind this protocol to our team?
Even brief moments of explanation from a veterinarian during a routine visit can have lasting impact. When the biology is clear, the protocol becomes logical rather than arbitrary.
From One-Time Training to Continuous Learning
That shared effort between veterinarians and producers also requires rethinking when and how training happens. Training is often treated as a one-time event. In practice, it functions as an ongoing system.
One-time, in-person sessions cannot reach every employee.
“Between turnover, schedules and time constraints, there is no way one training reaches everyone, so it has to be something people can come back and build on,” Schack says.
No single format is sufficient on its own. In-person training creates engagement. Digital tools provide accessibility. Language accessibility ensures the message is understood. Repetition reinforces it over time.
Every training instance should include:
● What to do and what not to do (addressing common shortcuts/mistakes)
● Why it matters (biological/physiological context)
● What happens if it’s done incorrectly
● Instilling pride in the importance of this task or their job
“When training is consistent and covers why the work matters and the impact of getting it right or wrong, the work becomes something they take pride in, not just something they complete.” Schack says.
Training will always be part of dairy operations. If the goal is lasting change, it cannot stop at protocols.
Protocols create consistency. Understanding creates ownership.
