My experience at Dairy Campus

"After some researches on the net, I found Dairy Campus. I sent my application and after initial contacts by mail, we quickly defined the goal of my internship. To make the link with my apprenticeship, I asked to do my own research project on milk quality, using available data of Dairy Campus. Thus, I worked on physiological and environmental factors influencing cell counts. I really appreciated freedom and the listening of people to find a subject in accordance with my expectations!

I will always remember my first impression when I arrived at this farm of 550 cows, I was very amazed. The team I worked with was very lovely, very welcoming and attentive. During my internship, I saw various aspects of an experimental farm’s organization: food preparation for a nutrition experiment, calf management, milking, blood taken for analysis, food analysis.

A typical day started around 7am by taking care of calves (feeding, look after calvings, give colostrums to new borns, put straw on igloos…). After coffee time at 10am and after lunch, time was spent to various missions like cleaning robot and freestalls, prepare samples, monitoring calvings… Again, calves, or sometimes milking, busied the end of the day. Each day was different, I learned everyday… and that always on a good mood!

This internship was a great experience, I spent good time for my first time in the Nertherlands. To sum up, Dairy Campus it’s a big family which welcomed  you with open arms and that you don’t want to leave… Hope to see them again ! "