Range Livestock Herder
Employer
13657 Garff Ranch Road
Peoa, UT 84061
United States
Job description
Required to be available 24 hours per day, 7 days a week and spend the majority of workdays on the range. All job duties are closely and directly related to the production of livestock.
Perform any combination of the following tasks to attend to livestock on the range: administer emergency minor medical care to sick/injured pregnant cows using roping methods to gently immobilize cow without causing undue stress; administer medication as needed; apply medications to cuts and bruises; assist with irrigating forage; assist with loading and unloading livestock according to shipping schedules; assist with sorting and cutting of culls; assist with supplemental feeding (when weather or quality of forage precludes use of range forage); assist with weed control on grazing areas (including noxious, invasive and poisonous plant species); attend to pregnant livestock and newborn offspring (including night checks); brand, tag, clip or otherwise mark young animals for identification purposes; build and/or maintain fence and facilities to ensure the safety and health of animals and forage; care for newly born offspring; detect direction from which the wind or prevailing storms are coming to keep cows gathered and safe; detect through winter tracking methods where other rancher(s)' livestock has been to avoid overgrazing of forage; examine animals to detect diseases and injuries; feed and water and ensure adequate provision of both; feed supplemental rations; feed, water and tend to the dogs (both guard and working dogs) and horses; gather and trail cow-calf pairs through sorting and shipping process; gradually herd cows in specified direction using methods which move cows slowly and safely through varying terrain, avoiding deep snow; guard against predatory animals and from eating poisonous and/or noxious plants; help with later stages of training horses and shoe camp horses; help with maintenance of meadow lands and repair fences; herd to appropriate grazing area; herd/trail cows to viable water sources; identify and administer appropriate medication for various health issues such as internal parasites, respiratory issues, injuries, etc.; identify and locate the more nutrient dense cool season grasses within grazing areas; identify livestock that are preparing to give birth; intensely monitor and treat both mother and young offspring vulnerable to hot or cold temperatures and sickness; keep accurate record of new offspring born; keep cows in small groups to allow grazing on proper mix of forage; maintain and set up supply wagon in appropriate direction to provide wind break/shelter/protection for horses & dogs; make certain animals have access to fresh water; make sanded trails for the safety of cows; make sufficient water from snow for horses/dogs at camp; monitor animals for weight gain, thrift and health problems; monitor for birthing problems and take correct actions when problems are identified; monitor grazing areas for poisonous and/or noxious plants and take action to prevent animals from consuming any identified; move cows at a pace sufficient to ensure they receive ample water/forage during daylight hours before bedding down at night; move livestock to spring and summer grazing areas; move pregnant livestock at a pace sufficient to ensure they receive ample water/forage during daylight hours before bedding down at night; operate camp stove appropriately to
provide/conserve heat in extreme cold/high winds; properly use/store food supplies for herder/horses/dogs; protect pregnant cows from harsh winter conditions; report to employer dehydration & other indicators of deterioration in animal body condition/behavioral changes indicating malnutrition or disease; report to rancher dehydration & other indicators of deterioration in body condition/behavioral changes indicating malnutrition; report to rancher on
water/forage/weather conditions; ride unmarked perimeters of designated range area; rope, flank and dehorn calves; round up st
Special Requirements
Required to: perform tasks capably and efficiently without close supervision, spend the majority of work days on the range, to ride, handle and tend horses in a manner to assure the safety and health of the worker, co-workers, horses, dogs and livestock, to operate equipment and machinery required to perform job duties indicated in a safe and responsible manner, to maintain equipment and machinery to a standard established by the employer, attend animals during all hours of the day as required for their safety and well-being, work with and around farm machinery such as tractors, UTVs and ATVs for supplemental feeding purposes and movement of livestock, work with and around farm machinery such as tractors for haying and supplemental feeding purposes and ATVs for irrigating and the movement of livestock, work with, build and maintain both set field fence and temporary electric fence, live and work singly or in small groups of workers in isolated areas for extended periods of time