Matos Dairy

Matos Dairyis proud to offer exciting internship opportunities for college students and recent student graduates who are interested in further developing their skills and knowledge of herdsmanship, nutrition, reproduction, management, farming, and genetics. Internships can be available year-round, but are most common in the summer months. The time and duration of the internship can be flexible and modified to fit each student's schedule. The intern will report directly to the Dairy & Farm Manager.

Matos Dairy Internship program is a hands-on, working experience focused on large large Jersey dairy operations and large-scale farming operation. Intern will have the opportunity to learn herdsmans-level skills, demostrate proper animal care and perparation of dairy cattle life cycle from birth to mature milking cow, feed nutrition and crop production. In addition to the basic cow and dairy regulations, equipment, and machinery overview.

Primary responsibilities (accounting for approximately 70 to 80 percent of daily work time) will be to shadow the manager to learn how the dairy operations are performed and to perform the duties of treating and caring for all livestock on the dairy facility. The duties are to be performed in an efficient manner to allow the production of high quaility product and promote animal well-being and comfort. Interns may work up to 60 hours per week and will have one or two days off per week. Examples of Intern duties onsite are as followed: 

Intern Duties and Responsibilities

• Shadow Manager(s)/Supervisor(s)
• Operate Pocket Cow Card on handheld computer
• Administer vaccines/hormones under the supervision of the supervisor/manager
• Accurately complete animal record keeping such as fresh cow sheets, hospital sheets, etc.
• Learn to use Dairy Comp 305 software
• Operate Equipment (Bobcat, feed push tractors, etc.)
• Be a leader/demostrate leadership skills
• Participate in training sessions, employee meetings, safety meetings, and management meeting.

Other responsibilities as assigned by the Manager. These responsibilities may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Maintain all equipment as prescribed by manufacturer's suggestion. Be certain all machienery is in working order. Notify manager immediately if any malfunctions occur.
• Maintain all equipment , tools, and supplies, in an orderly manner so they are readily available to use by any employee if needed.
• Perform other procedures as assigned that promote accurate identification and animal well-being.
• Assist in any special projects of farmstead in coordination with the manager.

Examples of operational areas that intern may be exposued to and have the opportunity to learn are listed below.

Learn Management of the Dairy Herd:

• Understand ration preparation and feeding
• Raising of replacements
• Milking procedures and protocols, including sanitation
• Maintenance of facilities, grounds, and equipment
• Mandatory ID Monoritiing. With the requirement for manadatory ID on all animals in the U.S. herd, it is essential that one person be responsible for maintaining all records in an electronic form (RFID) that is readily available for any state or federal offical. The number system and application of appropriate RFID must be the resonsiblity of the herd manager or one of his/her designees.

Learn Herd Health and Reproduction:

• Treating and caring for sick animals
• Maternity care and newborn calf care
• Heat detection
• Breeding
• Observe and indentify cows that may have illness, such as mastitis (or other health problems) and inform the manager for possible treatment. (No treatment will be done without permission of the supervisor and/or manager)
• Maintain treatment records and identify treated cows

Learn Farming/Crop Management:

• General overview of farming and seasonal corn crop management

Learn General Management:

• Dairy record keeping (Herd health, production, reproduction inventories, etc.)
• Review of monthly production reports
• Review of supplies, parts, and onsite inventory management
• Farming record keeping
• Monthly employee and saftey meetings

Minimum Qualifications (Education/ Experience):

• Be a college junior or senior student earning a degree in dairy science, dairy management or related agriculture/dairy major
• Valid driver's license, including a safe driving record
• You must have legal right to work in the United States
• Be able to lift up to 25 lbs on a frequent basis and up to 40 lbs occasionally
• Be able to stand and walk 75% of the work day. Be able to stand, walk, sit bedn, and climb.
• Speak and understand Spanish and/or Portuguese preferred, but not required.