Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
Cows are Laura Murdoch's passion and she shares her everyday interactions with them on Facebook and Tiktok.
Some of her Cow Whisperer videos have racked up quite a few hits. One has had 40,000 views and thousands of likes.
"I try and showcase my fun and I like looking at them, so then I think surely someone else might too!"
Murdoch used to be an accountant. Ever since she was a teenager, though, she'd always dreamt of becoming a farmer.
After 10 years at a desk and then needing surgery to treat carpal tunnel syndrome, she decided to ditch her heels for gumboots.
And now, whether she's putting the cups on or feeding out, she never looks back.
"I just put my radio on while I'm milking and have a wee sing and dance and the cows look at me strange and the odd one will stop for a pat ... yeah, it's very fun!" she says.
Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
The cow whisperer is in her third season working at Chris Reilly's 83 hectare, 250-cow Mokotua property near Invercargill.
"I'm predominantly the milker here. I'm 11 on, three off and on my days off the farm the owner comes into my position to relief-milk for me, so I do pretty much everything in the shed and with the cows."
A punt last year entering the Southland/Otago Dairy Manager of the Year awards was well worth the effort.
She ended up winning.
"I had entered the awards just to get some unbiased feedback to where I was at ... and yeah, I smashed it!" she says proudly.
TikTok@loulouthecowwhisperer
Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
