We have all heard the phrase horse whisperer, but a Southland accountant turned dairy farmer has gained a reputation for her talent for conversing with cows.

Meet Laura Murdoch, otherwise known as LouLou the Cow Whisperer.

At her first job on a dairy farm, Laura earned the nickname from her boss.

"On my first farm., they would call me LouLou, and then everyone started calling me that.

"My boss noticed the bond I had with the cows. I talk to them like they are human, and that's just the way I work with them.

"It turned into a joke that I was a cow whisperer because I make them so friendly."

Murdoch has always videoed her cows but started posting her bovine friends online a couple of years ago and is gaining followers on TikTok with her cow-whispering antics.

'I really did it because I like watching my own videos, and there are some cool trends and sounds that fit well with my clips.

"I thought it was a cool way to showcase just how cool these animals are because most people have no idea."

Murdoch's followers are a mix of urban dwellers and farmers.

"Some are farming people, and we are all supporting each other because we are all doing the same thing.

"Other people just love cows like me and get a hoot out of seeing them friendly or doing something cool."

Murdoch said she is cautious about what she posts to ensure her videos don't cause more harm than good.

"I don't even post if there is a bit of mud in the corner of a paddock.

"I'm quite aware of the fact that some people don't understand farming or that things can be thrown out of context."

While her social media exploits have garnered her attention, so has her dedication to her newfound career.

Despite growing up in urban Invercargill, Murdoch had always had an affinity with cows but went down the accounting career path when she finished high school due to a carpal tunnel issue.

She had put off having an operation for years until she was finally left with no choice.

"My wrists just finally blew out."

Once the operation was completed, Murdoch realised there was no longer a barrier to going dairy farming.

She got as much experience on dairy farms as she could relief milking and began studying in her spare time.

"I knew my CV was going to be 15 years of administration and accountant work, not farming.

"I still had a lot of knowledge from relief milking over the years, and I had a passion.

"So, I contacted Primary ITO and asked about courses."

Some courses Murdoch could complete off-farm, but as she progressed to Level 4 papers, she needed to find a permanent job to get photo evidence and assignments signed off by an employer.

After a staff member left one of the farms where Murdoch had been relief milking, she applied for the job and was immediately offered it.

Murdoch then took her current position as a herd manager, working on Chris Reilly's property 15 minutes from Invercargill, where she milks 250 cows.

After completing her studies, Murdoch entered the 2022 Dairy Industry Awards after receiving an email promoting the event in her inbox.

Murdoch saw the email as a sign, entering on a whim to "see where she was at".

Her hard work paid off, and she won the Southland/Otago Dairy Manager of the Year title, which she described as "the icing on the cake."

"That was a big highlight because it backed up that I'd made the right choice swapping jobs.

"I could have been sitting in an office on a six-digit salary, sitting on my butt working half the hours.

"But I don't do it for the money; I do it because I enjoy it."

Murdoch said she encourages other young women looking for careers in dairy farming to think about "what makes you tick".

"Every farm operates completely differently.

"Don't be disheartened if one job isn't the right fit; don't judge the whole industry based on that one time.

"It's about finding what you love about the job and what parts of the job you want to do."

By Claire Inkson