Careers > Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals

Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals

$34.15K Median Salary 36.4K Job Openings (Annual Projection) -8.3% Job Growth

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About This Career

Attend to live farm, ranch, open range or aquacultural animals that may include cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses and other equines, poultry, rabbits, 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, milking, 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. Includes workers who shear wool from sheep and collect eggs in hatcheries.

Reported Job Titles

Cowboy, Farm Hand, Farrowing Worker, Herdsman, Livestock Handler, Milking Worker, Ranch Hand, Rancher, Vaccinator, Wrangler

Career data shown for:

Skills You'll Need

Click on skills to find related courses.

Abilities

Problem Sensitivity

Control Precision

Arm-Hand Steadiness

Deductive Reasoning

Oral Comprehension

Near Vision

Trunk Strength

Far Vision

Finger Dexterity

Inductive Reasoning

Information Ordering

Manual Dexterity

Multilimb Coordination

Speech Clarity

Static Strength

Category Flexibility

Flexibility of Closure

Oral Expression

Selective Attention

Speech Recognition

Written Comprehension

Knowledge

Production and Processing

Administration and Management

Biology

English Language

Mechanical

Food Production

Mathematics

Skills

Critical Thinking

Monitoring

Active Listening

Judgment and Decision Making

Operation and Control

Operations Monitoring

Complex Problem Solving

Coordination

Reading Comprehension

Speaking

Troubleshooting

Technology Skills

Spreadsheet software

Data base user interface and query software

Office suite software

Word processing software

Internet browser software

Tools

Animal husbandry equipment

Veterinary injection or suction unit

Egg inspection or collecting equipment

Hand sprayers

Veterinary nail trimmers or cutters

Animal shearing or clipping equipment

Snowplow attachments

Saddles

Bridles

Agricultural tractors

Respirators

Nebulizers

Notebook computers

Livestock trailers

Incubators or brooders for poultry

Post hole digger

Veterinary castration instruments

Hand trucks or accessories

Feed mixers

Conveyor screw

Fog or mist generators

Livestock identification equipment

All terrain vehicles tracked or wheeled

Animal weighing scales

Blood collection syringes

Light trucks or sport utility vehicles

Animal watering machines

Claw hammer

Milking machines

Grease guns

Power drills

Shovels

Desktop computers

Backhoes

Power saws

Skid steer loaders

Abilities

Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Trunk Strength: The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
Finger Dexterity: The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Multilimb Coordination: The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Static Strength: The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Knowledge

Production and Processing: Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Administration and Management: Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Biology: Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Mechanical: Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Food Production: Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Skills

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.

Technology Skills

Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Data base user interface and query software: Blackboard software; Database software; Microsoft Access; Yardi software
Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
Word processing software: 3M Post-it App; Evernote; Google Docs; Microsoft Word
Internet browser software: Web browser software

Tools

Animal husbandry equipment: Cattle chutes; Dehorners; Hoof picks
Veterinary injection or suction unit: Balling guns; Veterinary suction equipment
Egg inspection or collecting equipment: Egg candlers
Hand sprayers: Spray guns
Veterinary nail trimmers or cutters: Animal nail trimmers; Hoof trimmers
Animal shearing or clipping equipment: Electric animal clippers
Snowplow attachments: Snowplows
Saddles: Riding saddles
Bridles: Horse bridles
Agricultural tractors: Logging tractors
Respirators: Half-face respirators; Respirator hose masks
Nebulizers: Handheld nebulizers
Notebook computers: Laptop computers
Livestock trailers: Horse trailers
Incubators or brooders for poultry: Poultry brooders
Post hole digger: Post hole augers
Veterinary castration instruments: Veterinary emasculators
Hand trucks or accessories: Handcarts
Feed mixers: Animal feed mixers
Conveyor screw: Conveyor control equipment
Fog or mist generators: Aerosol generators
Livestock identification equipment: Tattoo equipment
All terrain vehicles tracked or wheeled: All terrain vehicles ATV
Animal weighing scales: Livestock scales
Blood collection syringes:
Light trucks or sport utility vehicles: Utility trucks
Animal watering machines: Automatic watering devices
Claw hammer: Claw hammers
Milking machines: Milk separators; Milking equipment
Grease guns:
Power drills: Hand drills
Shovels: Snow shovels
Desktop computers:
Backhoes: Backhoe-equipped tractors
Power saws: Chain saws
Skid steer loaders: Bobcats

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