As frustrating as communicating can be with a language barrier, it can also be frustrating when you speak the same language. Sometimes the problem is not so much lack of language skills, but rather lack of taking the time to communicate something effectively. Here are a few simple ways to avoid mix ups around the farm.

In the Parlor:
Post a diagram showing the four quarters of the udder and the standard abbreviation you want all employees to use. That way you’ll be sure to check the correct quarter when an employee flags a cow for mastitis.

Lame Cows:
As with udder quarters, it’s helpful to have shorthand for recording the specifics on cows with lameness issues. You could make and post a diagram of a cow with the four feet labeled in English, Spanish and shorthand. Designate a white board or notebook for all employees to use to record cows whose feet need attention.

Watching For Heats:
Shorthand can also be helping when recording heats. Since the person making the breeding decisions isn’t always the one watching for heats, they can be more confident in the notes they receive if they know for certain that there is a consistent method used to record them. For example, all employees could use “S” for a cow that’s standing, and “R” for a cow that’s riding. A poster that includes this shorthand and some pictures with Spanish and English text can help ensure that your employees are all on the same page. As with lame cows, designate a place for employees to note cows that are in heat.  

In the Calving Pen:
Make some numbered collars out of twine and old cow number tags. When a calf is born, whoever takes care of it should put a collar on the calf and record the calf’s temporary number, along with the dam’s ID, calving difficulty, time of calving, etc. This will prevent possible mix ups when moving calves from the fresh pen to the calf barn. You could even use a different color collar for bull calves to make sure they end up in the right place.



Udder Diagram (pdf; 292KB)