Farmworker, Laborer

Work description

Workers will perform seasonal dairy farm labor associated with the care, feeding, housing, movement, and milking of dairy cattle during the November through April winter and spring production period. Duties include feeding and watering cattle; moving cattle between barns, pens, holding areas, maternity areas, and the milking parlor; and maintaining clean, dry, and adequately bedded livestock areas. During cold, wet, or muddy winter conditions, workers will remove manure, soiled bedding, mud, and accumulated material from barns, pens, alleys, and livestock traffic areas and distribute fresh bedding as directed. Workers may clean feed and water areas, gates, fences, and livestock facilities and perform routine upkeep necessary to keep cattle areas safe, sanitary, and functional. As winter transitions into spring, workers will assist with seasonal cleanup of livestock facilities, removal of accumulated bedding and manure, drainage and mud control, and preparation of pens and facilities for warmer and wetter spring conditions. Workers will assist with winter and spring calving and calf-care activities as needed. Duties may include observing cows for signs of approaching or active calving, moving cows into designated maternity areas, maintaining clean and dry calving pens, assisting with newborn calf handling, feeding calves as directed, replacing bedding, cleaning calf areas, and moving cows and calves to designated locations. Workers will also participate in daily milking operations, including bringing cows to the holding area and parlor; cleaning and preparing teats; applying pre-dip; stripping foremilk; attaching and removing milking units; monitoring milk flow and equipment operation; and applying post-dip. Following milking, workers will wash and sanitize parlors, holding areas, floors, stalls, hoses, milking equipment, and related work areas and perform routine cleaning and basic upkeep of equipment as instructed. Workers will observe cattle and calves for visible signs of injury, illness, abnormal behavior, unusual milk conditions, or difficulty during calving and must immediately report concerns to the employer or designated supervisor. Workers may not independently diagnose animals, determine treatment, or make veterinary or herd-management decisions. All duties will be performed under employer supervision and in accordance with established safety, animal-handling, sanitation, and biosecurity procedures. Workers must be able to work inside and outside livestock facilities during changing winter and spring conditions, including freezing or near-freezing temperatures, cold rain, wind, mud, heavy precipitation, and warming spring temperatures. Work requires prolonged standing and walking, bending, lifting and carrying materials, handling livestock, and performing repetitive dairy farm tasks throughout the November through April employment period.

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Last updated: October 7, 2026