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Career Details : Farmworkers, Farm and Ranch Animals

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Description

Attend to live farm, ranch, or aquacultural animals that may include cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses and other equines, poultry, finfish, shellfish, and bees. Attend to animals produced for animal products, such as meat, fur, skins, feathers, eggs, milk, and honey. Duties may include feeding, watering, herding, grazing, castrating, branding, de-beaking, weighing, catching, and loading animals. May maintain records on animals; examine animals to detect diseases and injuries; assist in birth deliveries; and administer medications, vaccinations, or insecticides as appropriate. May clean and maintain animal housing areas.

Experience

No previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, a person can become a general office clerk even if he/she has never worked in an office before.

Education

These occupations may require a high school diploma or GED certificate. Some may require a formal training course to obtain a license.

Training

Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few days to a few months of training. Usually, an experienced worker could show you how to do the job.

Tasks

  • Moves equipment, poultry, or livestock manually or using truck or cart from one location to another.
  • Sprays livestock with disinfectants and insecticides.
  • Grooms, clips, and trims animals.
  • Maintains equipment and machinery.
  • Mixes feed, additives, and medicines in prescribed portions.
  • Marks livestock to identify ownership, and grade, using brands, tags, paint, or tattoos.
  • Fills feed troughs with feed.
  • Collects, inspects, packs, or places eggs in incubator.
  • Herds livestock to pasture for grazing, or to scales, trucks, or other enclosures.
  • Maintains growth, feeding, production, and cost records.
  • Debeaks and trims wings of poultry.
  • Milks farm animals, such as cows and goats, by hand or using milking machine.
  • Applies or administers medications and vaccinates animals.
  • Castrates or docks ears and tails of animals.
  • Waters livestock.
  • Assists with birthing of animals.
  • Inspects and repairs fences, stalls, and pens.
  • Examines animals to detect disease and injuries.
  • Cleans stalls, pens, and equipment, using disinfectant solutions, brushes, shovels, and water hoses.
  • Segregates animals according to weight, age, color, and physical condition.

    Related Careers

    Important Abilities

    General Work Activities

    Important Skills

    Frequent Work Context

    • Hazardous Situations
    • Outdoors
    • Standing
    • Consequence of Error
    • Walking or Running

    Related Majors

    Major Add to MyFSA
    Agricultural Technologyadd Agricultural Technology to MyFSA
    Dairy/Livestock/Poultry Production Systems/Managementadd Dairy/Livestock/Poultry Production Systems/Management to MyFSA
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