Hatchery Intern (Mt. Vernon)

Primary Purpose

To experience Mountaire’s culture first-hand and provide additional exposure of Mountaire’s family-oriented work environment. Fulfill all designated duties within each specialized area of operation for the duration of the internship. This program is intended to provide learning opportunities by working hands-on with mentors and completing assigned projects. The purpose of this project is to compare the results from incubators and hatchers utilizing different machine programs. The Intern will gather all pre-hatch and post-hatch data to include but not limited to moisture loss, egg temperatures, fertility, assess chick quality and assist with the performance of residue breakouts along with 3 day and 7 day mortalities. The information gathered will assist in the determination of the correct incubator and hatcher programs to utilize on a day to day basis. Trial will be performed multiple times throughout summer.

Primary Project

• Split eggs from breeder flocks between incubators utilizing different programs 
• Gather pre-egg set data (moisture loss, etc.) and set eggs into incubators per protocols 
• Gather pre egg transfer data(moisture loss, egg temperatures, etc.) prior to Embrex process 
• Participate in Embrex process to ensure proper egg placement in hatchers and gather data 
• On hatch-day, ensure hatch, hatch of fertile and cull #’s are recorded correctly. Perform residue breakouts and assess chick quality 
• On farm, ensure chicks are placed in correct houses 
• Gather data from 3 day and 7 day mortality 

Duties/Activities Required by Job 

• Complete assigned project identified by department mentor
• Attend weekly seminar series across different Mountaire facilities 
• All interns must be available to travel to Delaware during the last week of the program for final presentations (August 5 – 7, 2025)
• All interns are required to complete a 10 minute presentation on their project at the conclusion of summer. Presentations will take place in Millsboro, DE at the Administrative Building during the week of August 4-8th. 
• All interns must complete a mid-way evaluation (week 5) along with a final evaluation (week 10)

Education/Experience Requirements 

• Must be currently enrolled and pursuing an Associate or Bachelor’s degree at an accredited college or university
• Work in a team environment, Self-Motivated and accepting of challenges and detail oriented 
• Outgoing with a positive attitude, willingness to ask questions, learn, and engage with the management and hourly workforce 
• Must be dependable and able to work early mornings

Are you looking for more than just a job? The culture at Mountaire is one of our greatest strengths and most valued assets. We maintain the same core values and family-focused work environment that we’ve operated with since day one. You will find that your peers, supervisor and team members are genuinely committed to, not only your success, but also working together to provide high-quality products to our customers. We are a service to one another and to our customers, demonstrating operational excellence and outstanding performance.

Mountaire Overview

Mountaire Corporation and its two operating affiliates, Mountaire Farms Inc. and Mountaire Farms of Delaware, Inc. (collectively, “Mountaire Farms” or “Mountaire”), are agricultural food production and processing companies providing competitive jobs to almost 10,000 dedicated employees at facilities in Arkansas, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. Now the fourth largest chicken company in the United States, we are still family owned and fully committed to giving back to the communities where we do business. At Mountaire Farms, our culture is what defines us. It sets us apart from our competition and reinforces what we stand for. Supporting each other, uplifting each other, and helping each other succeed — that’s the Mountaire way! Our vision is to provide growth, stability, and opportunities for our people, our customers, and our communities by profitably delivering wholesome quality chicken.

Total Compensation

Mountaire also offers an amazing total compensation package! A few examples of our benefits that may be offered to you are: eight paid holidays, Medical Plans with free onsite Health and Wellness Centers, Dental and Vision Programs, Employee Assistance Program for you and your family, Retirement Planning with 401(k), Profit Sharing, Employee Discounted Chicken Sales, Employee Discounts with partners (Car Purchase, Phone Plans, & Shopping), Tuition Reimbursement and many exciting career development programs!

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