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Where would one start if looking for a summer cattle job?

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milkmaid

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Some of y'all know me from Cattle Today... I'm a prevet college student. I know I don't spend much time posting on this forum, but I figured it's a better place to ask this question than CT. Been trying to figure out what I'm doing with my summer and where I'm going to spend it, seems like most of the summer internships out there either don't pay (been there done that enough times), or are for the purpose of evaluating future employees, or have a research project attached, and I'd really like something that's just work - and doesn't involve anything that remotely feels like schoolwork. I do research projects in the lab during the school year, don't really want to do them during the summer too.

Any thoughts or leads on where to look for a May to August summer job? I'd like to get something lined up soon - would rather not wait 'til something gets posted in May on, say, Craigslist. I can ride, drive, done a little bit of fencing, most of my skills are with doctoring animals, but I know that's not a big part of day-to-day labor on a ranch. I've spent quite a few years on a dairy, would like something different for a change. Anyone have thoughts on where to look, how to look, or know anyone that might need summer help? Any other advice?

Thanks-
 
Get in your car or your truck, wear some clean jeans and a decent shirt, take a one page piece of paper with a few qualifications / experience, some reference contacts and start knocking on doors. Full resume not usually required.

The big thing is to go right up and meet the people - tell them who and what you are and let them know you're looking for work.

You might be surprized at how good it works out.

If you are nervous about approaching strangers on their turf take someone with you and make them stay in the vehicle.

You might do the same at a couple of sale barns as well.

Remember - you are interviewing them as well - you get a feeling it is not the right place to work you can always leave.

I did it a couple times when I was your age.

Found more than one job by knocking on a few doors.

Finally, use all your connections and contacts and the local ag rep - networking is king!

More folks get hired from being in the right place at the right time than do by sending out applications - and that can be a matter of getting info from your personal network.

Best of luck

BC
 
One of the best places to gain experience for vet work is in a feedlot. Pen riding, processing & hospital will all offer lots of experience in proper cattle handling; diagnosing sickness ; treating and just refining your skills!Pick a location that works for you and contact the manager, usually there are openings and they usually pay better than ranches. However if they offer you a feeding or field job......run! :shock: :lol:
 
I kinda like B.C.'s advice, especially that part where you are also interviewing the one who is the potential employer. Let your strengths speak for themselves.

Best wishes to you. There IS something out there for you just go find it!!
 
Broke Cowboy said:
. Remember - you are interviewing them as well - you get a feeling it is not the right place to work you can always leave.BC
Click to expand...
thats the most important thing to keep from having a poor experience as well.
 
one of my friends was looking for a job last summer for the summer before she started vet school. she just went to a few of the local vets around here and found herself a job. like BC said just go knock on doors and ask people if they have any openings.

I know that it worked for me last year after i graduated college. i had my job before i graduated.
 
NR - I know how, but other than practice (I went to the Graham school in KS) I haven't done it for "real." I can preg check, though I'm not real fast, and I'm good at IVs, drawing blood, vaccinating, stitching wounds, calving... things that probably aren't needed very frequently on any operation from May to August, even at a feedlot. :p

As to pen riding at a feedlot, I think I'd enjoy it, but most of the feedlot jobs I'd seen were looking for an experienced pen rider, and while I can certainly spot and treat a sick cow, I haven't the experience in a feedlot. What do y'all think? is a feedlot worth looking into or am I not likely to get a job there since I lack the experience? I'm certainly not opposed to working my way up from the bottom but it'd be nice to have a job that at least occasionally uses some of my skills.

I'm trying to avoid "local" for this summer; I spent last summer in two local vet clinics, but would like to be away from home for a change this year. (I get along fine with my folks, just want to do something different for the summer.) I do drive across part of Idaho and most all of Wyoming on my way to and from college though, and I like your idea BC. I head back to school next week and I may make some stops if I see something that catches my eye while I'm driving. I'm not shy about talking to people, so that's not an issue.

Thanks for the input, any more advice of any sort would be great! Appreciate it.
 
Try Patsy Houghton at Heartland Cattle Co., McCook, Nebraska-they are a heifer breeding facility that is set up very well. I'm sure they need techs to help synch etc.
 
We always have a bunch of heifers at Heartland, very well run operation. They will expect alot of you as well.
 
I toured Heartland right after it was built-I think they had the first 100 head of heifers in it. Somebody left a gate open and they'd got out on an pivot of alfalfa. The pen rider was trying to get her horse caught and it wasn't going too well. We got everything back where it belonged by dark though. That was the year they had the first Angus Steer Feedlot Trial at Decauter County Feed Yards-I met alot of really interesting people on that trip. MARC was an eyeopener for sure and we went through probably a dozen different PB herds. One thing I figured out is you can't live on beef jerky and pepsi for a week. I think Heartland would be a great learning experience for sure-hopefully I can get basck to my A'I business this summer.
 
Type in Ag Jobs,and you'll get alot of hits.Also Ag publications are a good resource,try Capitol press newspaper,covers Oregon,Washington,California,some parts of Idaho.Good luck :)
 
This sure is a good opportunity for somebody. I've known milkmaid for five or six years - as much as you can 'know' somebody that you run into and communicate with on these sites. And I think a lot of us will agree that you can get to know people pretty well after reading their posts and PM'ing with them for years. Over the years, I've watched her change from an inquisitive high school kid that had thousands of questions about cattle, into an analytical and intelligent young lady that's found most of those answers - but keeps coming up with more questions. I believe her to be one of the most sincere, honest and dependable young people I've ever run into. I've PM'd her for advice on more than one occasion because it doesn't bother me to admit that she's a lot smarter than I am about some things.

We all recognize the problem that we're going to have in the future with finding new vets that have an interest in large animal practice. She's never wavered from that goal in the years that I've known her. This is an excellent opportunity for somebody to help one of the REALLY good young people while at the same time helping yourself. If I was close enough to her and had plenty for her to do, I'd hire her NOW, knowing that she would show up in the summer at the agreed upon time and place. I'd be completely comfortable with spending a day or two to show her around and answer her questions, then handing her a checkbook and the keys and taking some time off. No doubt in my mind that things would be in much better shape when I got back than if I had stayed there and done it myself.

Somebody here has a place for her. What are you waiting for?
 
Try Dr. John Ismay in Sturgis, South Dakota-John is an excellent vet an a real character. I think most large animal vets could use the help but can't afford to pay them.
 
Was checking some of milkmaid's posts--ran into this. If that calf looked like Hilary from the rear he could start a new line with an awfull lot of meat on the round!



Cocked off to the LEFT?? Not much chance then for the poor lil bugger. If it lives, it'll likely be a Democrat . . .


from the rear he looks ALOT like Hillary and Nancy... should I just put him down?



_________________
 
You make it sound like that was milkmaid's post. I had to go look and try to figure that one out:

http://ranchers.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=429709#429709
 
MM I bet our vet would love to have you this summer, and you could do real work on their beef ranch as well as dairy barn. But he likes to get students who will want to come back and practice at just clinics he has even been known to pay off a few really good students loans just to get them . Let me know if you are interested though and I will give you more info.

I am sure you will get a great summer job, and with your worth ethic and your knowledge in many different ares, any business would be lucky to have you on board. I would hire you in a second, I just might be able to take a long holiday.. :)
 
Milkmaid, I hope you'll check out this link, or maybe you already have; http://www.heartlandcattle.com/employment.html
 
I think the Y Cross, a ranch co-owned by CSU and University of Wyoming does summer internships (located west of Cheyenne, WY)... I could help you look into it if you'd be interested in a ranching-type job with LOTS of physical labor. I know the manager, and he's a great person.
 
If your lookking for a internship like job check with the Sandhills cattle Association I think . I can't remeber her name . thats how I found my internship with soapweed . It was just a job like you were talking about just work and learn from expierance. Good Luck
 

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