Herdsman - Lambing Season

Job description

All job duties are closely and directly related to tending pregnant sheep and their young offspring.

Perform any combination of the following tasks to attend pregnant sheep and their young during the fall/winter birthing season: adhere to safety and animal handling procedures dictated by the employer; assist in the maintenance of tools, equipment and handling facilities necessary to production; assist with docking; attend sheep and lambs in barns during lambing season(including night checks); brand, tag, clip or otherwise mark young animals for identification purposes; care for young offspring by drying them off, mixing and feeding supplemental milk, treating umbilical cords, vaccinating, splinting, and cleaning feeding equipment and the lamb barn; clean sheep facilities, pens and barns; ensure newly born lambs stand and nurse ; feed and water and ensure adequate provision of both; identify and sort twin lambs and their mother; identify ewes that are preparing to give birth; identify sheep that need it and trim feet ; inspect and clean sheep waterers; inspect hay feed bunks and fork hay daily, and empty and clean bunks as necessary; keep accurate record of new lambs born; lift and stack bales of hay and sacks of grain and mineral onto a feed truck or wagon; make certain animals have access to fresh water; mix and feed supplemental milk to bum lambs; monitor for birthing problems and take correct actions when problems are identified; monitor pregnant ewes for abortion/malnutrition/pregnancy toxemia and other pregnancy related conditions; move sheep to appropriate pens; repair and/or maintain fence and facilities to ensure the safety and health of animals and forage; set up and take down temporary lambing pens.

Special Requirements

Required to: perform tasks capably and efficiently without close supervision, live and work singly or in small groups of workers in isolated areas for extended periods of time, 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, work outdoors in all types of weather and may experience occasional exposure to hazards such as poisonous snakes, biting insects and extreme temperature, work with and around farm machinery such as tractors for haying and supplemental feeding purposes and ATVs for irrigating and the movement of livestock, have or be able to obtain a valid drivers license and possess a driving record that meets companys insurance guidelines and policies, work with and around farm machinery such as tractors, UTVs and ATVs for supplemental feeding purposes and movement of livestock, handle animals using low stress handling methods.