Power Outage Plan for Dairy
A power outage plan for dairy farms with ordered steps to protect cows, milk and equipment when electricity fails during milking or cooling.
Download free PDF1 page, US Letter, prints clean in black and white
GuideDairyFree PDF
The steps on this page
- Call the utility and note the outage time
- Start the generator per the manual
- Prioritize milking and milk cooling
- Check water supply for cows
- Switch off equipment to prevent surges
- Hand milk or delay per plan
- Keep tank agitation and cooling going
- Call the milk hauler if needed
- Record the outage and lessons learned
How to use this guide
Walk a new hand through the steps once, then let them use the page on their own. Add your own notes as you learn what works.
Where to check the details
This sheet is a general template, so confirm specifics with your own manuals, labels and local rules. For current official guidance, start with eXtension and USDA.
For more in this area, see the practical dairy know-how. Between chores, farm.FM has farm humor, including Dairy Farm Electricity Costs Soar; Milking Parlor Applies for Its Own Power Plant, and dairy farm stories.