Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals
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.
Critical ThinkingMonitoringOperations MonitoringOperation and ControlJudgment and Decision MakingActive ListeningTroubleshootingSpeakingReading ComprehensionCoordinationComplex Problem SolvingTime ManagementQuality Control AnalysisEquipment SelectionActive LearningRepairingEquipment MaintenanceWritingSocial PerceptivenessPersuasionManagement of Personnel ResourcesService OrientationInstructingSystems EvaluationSystems AnalysisNegotiationMathematicsLearning StrategiesManagement of Material ResourcesScienceManagement of Financial ResourcesTechnology DesignOperations AnalysisProgrammingInstallation
Knowledge areas
Production and ProcessingBiologyAdministration and ManagementEnglish LanguageMechanicalFood ProductionMathematicsPublic Safety and SecurityTransportationEconomics and AccountingSales and MarketingAdministrativeEducation and TrainingLaw and GovernmentChemistryBuilding and ConstructionPersonnel and Human ResourcesCustomer and Personal ServicePsychologyComputers and ElectronicsDesignGeographyCommunications and MediaTelecommunicationsEngineering and TechnologyPhysicsHistory and ArcheologyMedicine and DentistrySociology and AnthropologyPhilosophy and TheologyTherapy and CounselingForeign LanguageFine Arts
Technology & tools
BCL Landview Systems WinCropFarm Works Software TracLancaster DHIA PCDARTMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft WordSpreadsheet softwareValley Agricultural Software DairyCOMP 305Web browser software
Representative tasks
Performing General Physical ActivitiesMonitoring Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsMaking Decisions and Solving ProblemsOperating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or EquipmentHandling and Moving ObjectsCommunicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesIdentifying Objects, Actions, and EventsJudging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or PeopleGetting InformationDocumenting/Recording InformationControlling Machines and ProcessesInspecting Equipment, Structures, or MaterialsEstablishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsEstimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or InformationProcessing InformationUpdating and Using Relevant KnowledgeEvaluating Information to Determine Compliance with StandardsTraining and Teaching OthersOrganizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkDeveloping and Building TeamsCoordinating the Work and Activities of OthersPerforming for or Working Directly with the PublicAnalyzing Data or InformationScheduling Work and ActivitiesMonitoring and Controlling ResourcesGuiding, Directing, and Motivating SubordinatesDeveloping Objectives and StrategiesCommunicating with People Outside the OrganizationPerforming Administrative ActivitiesRepairing and Maintaining Mechanical EquipmentAssisting and Caring for OthersThinking CreativelyResolving Conflicts and Negotiating with OthersInterpreting the Meaning of Information for OthersWorking with ComputersCoaching and Developing OthersSelling or Influencing OthersProviding Consultation and Advice to OthersRepairing and Maintaining Electronic EquipmentDrafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Daily feeding and watering routines — perform reliably under a herdsperson's direction on a commercial farm.Animal handling basics (sorting, restraint, low-stress handling) — apply consistently on assigned species.Personal protective equipment and biosecurity (boot baths, dedicated clothing) — follow without prompting.Routine pen and barn cleaning — perform on schedule with documented results.Standard equipment (milking units, automated feeders, scales) — operate safely with training.Animal-observation rounds (lameness, off-feed, distress) — conduct and report to the herd manager.Treatment-record entries — log accurately under a supervisor's verification.Routine vaccinations and injections — administer per the veterinarian's protocol with supervision.Hot- and cold-weather animal-care procedures — apply consistently on the farm.Daily-task logs and shift hand-offs — maintain to the operation's standards.
developing
Routine herd or flock health programs — execute under the veterinarian's standing orders.Calving, farrowing, lambing, or hatching support — provide independently in routine cases.Routine repairs (gates, fences, water systems, ventilation) — perform with documented checklists.Milking-parlor operations (or aquaculture harvest, or poultry catching) — lead a shift in production.Animal-welfare standards (industry program, FARM, NCC, GAA-BAP) — apply per the operation's certifications.Junior workers and new hires — train on safety, biosecurity, and animal handling.Routine inventory (semen, vaccines, feed additives) — manage at task level under a herd manager.Standard records (DHIA, PigCHAMP, individual ID systems) — maintain accurately.Cross-task flexibility (calving, processing, equipment maintenance) — adapt with rapid retraining.Crew safety and near-miss reporting — own at the field level.
proficient
Herdsperson or farm-floor leadership — own across feeding, breeding, health, and production records.Production records and benchmarking — analyze for milk, growth, hatch, or feed-conversion improvements.Vaccination, treatment, and biosecurity programs — execute per the veterinarian's plan at scale.Major repairs and equipment overhauls — schedule and oversee with vendors and operators.Continuous-improvement projects (heat stress, mastitis, lameness, mortality) — lead with measurable outcomes.Cross-shift coordination — own across day and night crews with clear documentation.Routine audits (welfare, sustainability, certification) — host with documentation and prepared responses.Junior herdspersons and lead workers — supervise across a small team.Vendor and milk-/processor-buyer relationships — manage at routine level.Operating budgets (feed, supplies, labor) — manage at unit scale under the owner.
advanced
Production-operations leadership for a dairy, ranch, or aquaculture site — set direction across staff and animal welfare.Capital decisions (parlor upgrades, ventilation, automation) — author and defend with the owner.Major audits and certifications (welfare, sustainability, food-safety) — lead at executive level.Workforce development — own across training, certifications, and retention with HR partners.Industry forums (commodity boards, breed associations) — represent the operation.Disaster response (disease incursion, weather, equipment failure) — command across staff and vendors.Vertical-integration partnerships (processor, retailer, cooperative) — own at operational and strategic levels.Long-term reproductive and genetics programs — set across years and generations in collaboration with breeders.Safety culture and welfare ethics — institutionalize across crews.Legacy mentorship of herdspersons and farm-floor leads — institutionalize through training.