Freshening Herdsmen

Jersey Gold uses a managed reproductive program that generates a predictable, calendar-driven surge in fresh cow and calf-related labor from November through April each year. The Freshening Herdsman will perform the following primary duties, including baseline milking responsibilities, with additional duties concentrated during the November–April freshening season.

Fresh Cow Management: monitoring cows in the fresh pen for post-partum illness including metritis, ketosis, displaced abomasum, and hypocalcemia; administering propylene glycol, calcium boluses, and IV fluids under veterinary supervision; recording treatments and outcomes in DairyComp; adjusting pen stocking and moving cows as health status changes.

Calving Surveillance and Assistance: maintaining continuous monitoring of close-up pen during peak calving months (November through February); assisting with dystocia and difficult presentations; tagging and recording newborn calves; cleaning and resetting calving area following each event; ensuring cow-calf separation per biosecurity protocol.

Colostrum Management: milking fresh cows to obtain first-milking colostrum; tube-feeding or bottle-feeding neonatal calves within the first 2 hours of birth; labeling, dating, and refrigerating or freezing surplus colostrum for subsequent calves.

Calf Transfer Preparation: processing each newborn calf for transport to DJF. Confirming

colostrum intake, applying ear tag, completing individual calf health record, recording birth weight; coordinating transfer schedule and transport logistics with DJF staff; ensuring proper calf loading and biosecurity protocols are observed at transfer.

Dry Cow Pre-Fresh Transition: moving cows from far-off dry pen to close-up pen at appropriate pre-calving interval; monitoring close-up cows for signs of imminent calving and early metabolic disease; body condition scoring and reporting to herd manager.

Pregnancy Diagnosis Support: drafting and moving cows to the preg-check chute; restraining individual cows for veterinary ultrasound or rectal palpation; recording pregnancy outcomes in DairyComp; sorting open cows for re-enrollment in synchronization protocols.

Cull Cow Sorting and Documentation: identifying cows flagged for culling by herd manager; sorting culls from main herd; completing producer statements, health certificates, and transport paperwork; loading culls for shipment in coordination with contracted haulers.

Milking: performing routine milking of assigned cows/pens as part of the farm's regular milking rotation, including udder preparation and sanitation, proper unit attachment and removal, monitoring for mastitis or abnormal milk, and adherence to milk quality and food-safety protocols.

DairyComp Record Entry: entering all fresh cow events, treatments, diagnoses, calving outcomes, and calf transfers into DairyComp on same-day basis to maintain herd record integrity required for DHIA reporting and milk quality compliance.

Requirements: 3 months of experience. Justification for Lifting Requirement

The lifting requirement is necessary for the performance of the agricultural duties associated with this position. Workers are required to assist with farming activities that involve handling, moving, loading, and unloading equipment, tools, materials, and supplies. Certain items used in the normal course of the farming operation may weigh up to 75 pounds. Therefore, workers must be physically capable of safely lifting and carrying up to 75 pounds as required to perform the essential duties of the position.