Dairy Farming

Obviously, cattle are the most important animals a dairy farmer keeps. They provide the milk which is pasteurised, and often made into cheese, yoghurt, butter or other dairy products.

Hay and Goats
Courtesy of Boherlahan Dualla Historical Journal.

In the past, most dairy farmers kept a wide variety of animals for different uses. Some farms, like that pictured above in the 1950s, kept goats for their milk, which makes tasty cheese and yoghurt.

Hens, ducks and geese were often kept in the farmyard for their eggs and meat.

Hens were very economical to keep, as they are quite cheap to feed and produced both eggs and meat.

Before dairy farming became mechanised, cows were milked by hand daily, and the milk was stored in metal barrels called churns.

Going to the Creamery, 1950s
Courtesy of Boherlahan Dualla Historical Journal.

The churns were then brought to the creamery, where the milk was sold. Butter and cream were also made from the milk.