Breeding & Milking Herdsmen

Job description

NPDI has a very seasonal swing in reproduction that generates a predictable, calendar-driven surge in breeding and milking labor from November through May each year. The Breeding & Milking Herdsman will perform the following primary duties, including baseline milking responsibilities, with additional duties concentrated during the November - May breeding and peak milking season.

Breeding: Performing artificial insemination using frozen-thawed semen with proper thaw technique and sanitary handling; recording all breeding events, protocol administrations, and semen inventory usage in DairyComp on the same day

Heat Detection: monitoring data daily to identify cows in standing estrus; validating heat alerts against visual observation; drafting eligible cows for insemination; managing cows that miss or repeat cycles back into synchronization protocol

Pregnancy Diagnosis: determining cows for early AI confirmation by veterinarian (30-35 days post-AI); recording confirmed pregnancies and open returns in DairyComp; sorting open cows into re-synchronization pen for protocol restart

Pregnant Cow Monitoring and Management: daily visual health assessment of dry cows in far-off and close-up pens; body condition scoring on a scheduled basis; identifying and flagging cows for veterinary attention; managing stocking density and pen moves; administering approved treatments under veterinary protocol

Breeding and Pregnant Confirmation Records: entering all vaccination administrations, AI events, pregnancy check outcomes, breeding records, and treatments into DairyComp; generating weekly reproductive reports for herd manager review

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

Special Requirements

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.