Open Range Livestock Herder

Job description

PLEASE NOTE - THIS IS A RESUBMISSION DUE TO THE PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION THAT STOPPED THE PROCESSING OF THIS CASE.
By February of each year, we have our animals to rangeland. We custom/contract graze on 950-1200 acres of mostly dry land. This requires a certain skill set as we are providing a service to our clients. The worker must be able to demonstrate work experience and a knowledge shepherding. The Open Range Livestock Herder will be required to be On-Call 24/7 and live on the range more than 50% of the time. Range Duties include: Attends animals grazing on range or pasture. Herds and rounds up strays. Fixing nets. Repairing watering systems. Marking our nets. Gathering all equipment used for grazing like signage, medicine, and 4 wheeler baskets. Sorting animals for different grazing groups. Ability to read the vegetation and move animals according the contracts’ need (moving animals when enough forage has been eaten, but not too much). Knowledge of different forage nutritional value. Provide mineral and supplement that coincide with animal condition and needs. Knowledge and ability to spot noxious and poisonous plants. Ability to read the landscape and being able to avoid obstacles such as flash floods. Reading the landscape as well as maps to be able to correctly set up fencing on contract ground vs. neighboring ground as well as being able to for see any hardships or dangers in where we are setting up the net. Clearing brush lines for the fence. Being able to herd animals independently of fencing. Being able to herd son a ranch or across 4 lane major intersections. We move about 50 different “pieces”, sometimes twice during the season. Ability to load and unload multiple trucks and trailers. Knowledge of corral and squeeze shoot work. Worker may assist with sheering. Administer medicine routinely as well as spot checking for worms and other diseases. Knowledge of diseases that may affect the livestock, their seasons, and the correct treatment. For instance, temperature swings bring on more pneumonia. Recognizing sore mouth and being able to correctly isolate the animals. Ability to catch a single animal in a group of sheep for doctoring. Understanding of foot rot, scald, and hoof trimming and how to avoid all three. Making sure Rams are in working condition when breeding season begins. (Doctoring, supplementing, checking for breeding issues.) Making sure body condition will work through breeding season (Rams have enough weight on them as they lose a little weight working so hard). Knowledge of how to determine if animals are getting bred and ability to understand the issues needed to correct issues that arise. Picking up and moving electric net. Employee must be willing to perform tasks capably and efficiently without close supervision, and live and work singly or in small groups of workers in isolated areas for extended periods of time. The job may entail operating a 4-wheeler and use herding dogs for movement of livestock. Worker must be able to lift and carry items weighing up to 100 pounds. Most duties are performed out-of-doors and entail exposure to extreme heat and cold; dust, rain, snow, wind; and herding hazards; poisonous snakes and predators common in range lands. General supervision will be provided by the ranch owner.