Range Lamber

Job description

Must have 3 months experience birthing ewes of flocks of 600 head or larger. Workers may be asked but not required to obtain a valid U.S. driver’s license and operate a motor vehicle. One reference required. Must be able to preform the following seasonal duties at direction of the employer. Identify and sort heavy pregnant ewes from late pregnant ewes and separate groups accordingly, with help of the supervisor. Move pregnant ewes to birthing fields and pastures. Be able to identify animals for signs/symptoms of potential labor complications associated with the pregnancy and delivery process. Assist appropriately with difficult births to include, but not limited to; constraining animals as necessary and assisting in lamb delivery, grafting orphans or multiples to ensure optimal nutrition and survival rates. Examine and identify animals for sign of illness particularly related to gestation/ delivery and administer vaccines, medications, nutritive supplements according to instructions. Help with unloading of mothers and babies and ensure lambs are with correct ewe and nursing effectively. Assist newborns with suckling the mother ewe or grafting onto a new ewe. Feed and water sheep during lambing period. May assist in tagging, vaccinating, worming and castration and docking of sheep. Ability to move family groups into field and watch for signs of lambs loosing their mothers and assist with their relocation to reunite with the mother ewe. Able to identify health issues including but not limited to malnutrition of ewes, fever pneumonia, foot rot, prolapse and mastitis. Ability to safely and humanely catch ewes and lambs with a hook. Ability to Incidentally construct, deconstruct and maintain temporary and mobile fencing systems to allow for the efficient and effective grazing of lambing ewes during the lambing season, to ensure ample, sufficient and proper pasture nutrition for the sheep is always provided, thereby constantly achieving the highest animal welfare standard possible. Animal welfare is our highest priority and main objective. Provides water to animals, including mild maintenance of water systems. Assists with branding, castrating, docking, shearing/tagging. Manages sheep on the range to reduce overcrowding and to increase maternal/ offspring bonding. Protects vulnerable sheep from predators by managing and feeding LGD ( Livestock Guardian Dogs). Protects sheep from eating noxious vegetation. Occasionally, driver/header will pick up mothers and babies from one lambing location and safely deliver another for mothering up period. May need to haul and disburse water and/or supplemental feed with truck and trailer. Will include minor maintenance of water troughs and water lines. Assist with loading and unloading of sheep in trailers, constructing and deconstructing portable corrals. Will assist in moving sheep from one location to another with truck and trailer or moving herder trailer to new location. Some work/tasks may occur off the range, but more than 50% of work will be performed on the range.