Farm workers who work with farm and ranch animals are responsible for attending to live ranch, farm, or aquacultural animals, including sheep, cattle, goats, horses, poultry, swine, bees, finfish and shellfish. They also care and attend to animals that are produced for animal products such as milk, eggs, meat, honey, skins and fur. Some of their tasks may include watering, feeding, grazing, branding, castrating, de-beaking, catching, loading and weighing animals. Farm workers repair, maintain and inspect farm equipment, machinery, pens, yards, fences and buildings.
Farm workers may also be responsible for maintaining animal records, examining animals to identify disease and injury, helping with animal births and administering vaccinations, insecticides or vaccinations as needed. They also maintain and clean up animal housing facilities. To ensure that animals are properly raised, they monitor water and food supplies. Those working with animals may herd livestock for grazing, or to pastures, trucks and scales. To move poultry or livestock to different locations, they may employ trucks, carts or manually move them. This field also includes workers who collect eggs in hatcheries and shear wool from sheep.
Summary
- To prevent accidents or injuries, farm workers wear safety equipment.
- Farm workers may conduct their work in very hot or cold temperatures.
- According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), farm workers, farm and ranch animals, held approximately 35,000 jobs in May 2009.
- The BLS reports that the average annual wage for farm workers, farm and ranch animals, was $23,640.
Work Environment for Farm Workers, Farm and Ranch Animals
Workers in this occupation work in various types of weather, which can include very cold or hot temperatures. To prevent on-the-job accidents and injuries, they wear protective and safety equipment that includes glasses, shoes, gloves, hard hats, life jackets or hearing protection.
Education, Training and Licensing
Farm workers can obtain on-the-job training by working with a more experienced farm worker. Animal breeders and agricultural inspectors may require a college degree or additional work experience.
Employment Figures, Projections, Outlook and Earnings for Farm Workers, Farm and Ranch Animals
According to research published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), farm workers, farm and ranch animals. held approximately 35,000 jobs in May 2009. Most of these jobs were support activities for animal production and farm product raw material merchant wholesalers. Other jobs were in animal slaughtering and processing, support activities for crop production and wholesale electronic markets and agents and brokers. Employment in this field is forecasted by the BLS to have little or no change through 2018.
BLS records for May 2009 indicate that the average annual wage for farm workers, farm and ranch animals, was $23,640. The middle 50% earned between $17,750 and $27,470. While the lowest 10% had a yearly salary of $15,610 or less, the highest 10% earned upwards of $34,520 annually.