Range Calvers

Job description

Performs the following duties principally out on open range lands for commercial range cattle production to attend to cows during and after calving & to care for calves. Observes cows for overall health, behavior, & physical signs to determine delivery time. Must know when to leave cow alone to deliver calf on her own & when to check for problems. Recognizes signs indicating a struggle with birthing process & reports serious difficulties to the employer, including employer-designated representative. Properly restrains cow when needed to help with birthing process. Properly uses obstetric chains to pull calf when necessary. Checks teats on cows to see if they need milking or treatment with ointment to allow calves to nurse. Reports to the employer, including employer-designated representative on any prolapse in cows and orphaned calves. Identifies which cow-calf pairs are mothered, which cows are dry, and which have yet to calve. At the appropriate time, utilizes special procedures for moving cow-calf pairs safely back to the herd, keeping calves with their respective mothers. In order to locate lost calves, recognizes and differentiates between signs a cow gives indicating she is searching for or hiding her calf. Reports to the employer, including employer-designated representative, on which calves are old enough to trail. Herds and trails cow-calf pairs through spring/fall and summer ranges using methods which keep the calves with their respective mothers. Finds safe shallow areas to cross high running streams and knows when and how to guide or coax cow-calf pairs calmly and orderly across. On horseback, using dogs, keeps cow-calf pairs mothered and moving to areas designated by the employer, including employer-designated representative, where there is sufficient forage and water, keeping cow-calf pairs away from poisonous plants. Reports to the employer, including employer-designated representative, on conditions, types, and availability of sources/areas of water and forage. May assist with distribution of supplemental feed using related equipment. Lives in mobile units or other housing units principally on the range. Helps with breaking and training young camp horses. Shoes camp horses. During branding process, ropes and restrains calves. May help with vaccination, dehorning and branding of calves. Uses pack horse and pack outfit to distribute salt and minerals to cow-calf pairs per the employer's, including employer-designated representative, directions. Protects cow-calf pairs from predators and theft. May assist with the maintenance of the native forage meadows on the range & repair/construction of fences/corrals (metal & wood) using related equipment. On horseback, gathers & trails cow-calf pairs to corrals for sorting & shipping. Assist in maintaining facilities used in the calving process. Assist the employer, including employer-designated representative, with movement of cow-calf pairs through chutes/corrals & onto scales during sorting, weaning & shipping processes. The chutes and corrals are located throughout the open range area and are used seasonally for purposes of treating livestock, sorting and shipping. The duties described herein (and/or related duties) constitute the production of range livestock and/or are closely and directly related to herding and/or the production of range livestock.

Must be willing to work in remote areas, under extreme and unexpected climatic conditions common in SW Wyoming, NW Colorado, and NE Utah.

Special Requirements

Must be able to ride and handle horses in a manner to assure safety of the employee, co-workers, horses, dogs, and livestock and equipment utilized in the range production of livestock. Must be able to find and maintain bearings to assigned work areas on the open range. Employee must be physically able to perform the duties described herein and must be able to perform the duties reliably. Employee will be directed and controlled by the employer and/or employer-designated representative. However, employees are often required to work alone for periods of time and to perform the required work reliably and properly. Absences from work, failure to perform all required duties described herein and any act of misconduct, such as severe willful damage/injury to livestock, horses, dogs, housing, equipment, or fighting or willful injury to co-worker(s) or any other person will not be tolerated and will be cause for immediate dismissal.