Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals

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What they do

Attend to live farm, ranch, open range or aquacultural animals that may include cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses and other equines, poultry, rabbits, finfish, shellfish, and bees. Attend to animals produced for animal products, such as meat, fur, skins, feathers, eggs, milk, and honey. Duties may include feeding, watering, herding, grazing, milking, castrating, branding, de-beaking, weighing, catching, and loading animals. May maintain records on animals; examine animals to detect diseases and injuries; assist in birth deliveries; and administer medications, vaccinations, or insecticides as appropriate. May clean and maintain animal housing areas. Includes workers who shear wool from sheep and collect eggs in hatcheries.

Recommended education

High school diploma or GED

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Career cluster

Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources

Projected growth

N/AN/A

Expected pay range

Viewing career details for:

Annual SalaryHourly Wage

About farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals

Other titles

Cowboy, Farm Hand, Farrowing Worker, Herdsman, Livestock Handler, Milking Worker, Ranch Hand, Rancher, Vaccinator, Wrangler

Tasks they perform

Feed and water livestock and monitor food and water supplies.
Herd livestock to pastures for grazing or to scales, trucks, or other enclosures.
Examine animals to detect illness, injury, or disease, and to check physical characteristics, such as rate of weight gain.

Skills they need

Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Operations Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Troubleshooting - Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Licenses and Certifications

How to decide which one is right? That depends on an individual’s career path, specialty, and resources.