Sinethemba Pearl

Dedicated and experienced Dairy Assistant with over 6 years of hands-on experience in dairy farm operations, calf rearing, and herd health management across South Africa and the United States. Skilled in milking parlour operations, animal husbandry, artificial insemination (AI) support, heat detection, mastitis treatment, calf and heifer rearing, and herd management software (Afikim). Strong record of maintaining animal welfare, milk quality, and biosecurity standards on large-scale dairy operations of over 1,200 milking cows.

Holds a National Diploma in Farming Management. Reliable, physically fit, and committed to animal care and farm productivity.

Dairy Intern (Calf & Herd Care) at Aurora Organic Dairy Farm (2025-09 – Present)

50 hours/week

• Monitor cows during maternity and parturition, providing hands-on calving support and newborn calf care.
• Set up cows for successful lactation and evaluate feeding and eating habits of calves.
• Recognize signs of illness in calves, refer sick animals for treatment, and manage special-needs calves.
• Train calves to drink from buckets, wean calves, and monitor growth and development.
• Collect blood samples from the jugular vein, test serum, and interpret results to support herd health decisions.
• Dehorn calves, diagnose sick cows, and perform physical exams as part of routine herd health checks.
• Conduct conventional heat detection, drenching, and pregnancy checking through palpation.
• Apply basic hoof anatomy knowledge to identify and address hoof injuries.
• Prepare tools and assist with artificial insemination (AI) procedures and techniques.

Dairy Worker & Calf/Heifer Supervisor at Stratford Dairy Farming (2021-01 – 2025-09)

67 hours/week | Approx. 1,200 milking cows

• Carried out pasture walks and monitored overall herd animal health on a large-scale dairy operation.
• Operated the Afikim herd management system for tracking milk yield and animal records.
• Managed calf and heifer rearing programs and assisted with artificial insemination (AI).
• Performed heat spotting and coordinated drying-off of cows ahead of calving.
• Maintained accurate milk record sheets and upheld strict parlour hygiene standards.
• Sorted steamed-up (pre-calving) cows and collected milk samples for quality testing.
• Diagnosed and treated mastitis cases and conducted regular herd stock counts.

Student Intern at Fifehead Dairy Farm (2020-03 – 2020-11)

63 hours/week | 1,400 animals

• Milked cows daily and treated mastitis under farm health protocols.
• Carried out dipping, vaccinating, dehorning, and ear-tag insertion for herd health management.
• Washed and sanitized milking machines and milk tanks to maintain hygiene standards.
• Measured milk yield and assisted with calf rearing duties.

Student Intern at Avorcane CC (2019-01 – 2019-12)

• Planted avocado and macadamia crops and carried out weed and pest control.
• Conducted crop scouting, harvesting, soil sampling, and fertilizer application.
• Assisted with stock taking and general farm record keeping.

National Diploma in Farming Management – Mthashana TVET College (2017-01 – 2020-10)