Summary of 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.

What Agricultural Workers Do

Agricultural workers maintain crops and tend livestock. They perform physical labor and operate machinery under the supervision of farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers.

Duties

Agricultural workers operate farm machinery.

Agricultural workers typically do the following:

• Plant, inspect, and harvest crops
• Irrigate farm soil and maintain ditches or pipes and pumps
• Operate and service farm machinery and tools
• Apply fertilizer or pesticide solutions to control insects, fungi, and weeds
• Move plants, shrubs, and trees with wheelbarrows or tractors
• Feed livestock and clean and disinfect their cages, pens, and yards
• Examine animals to detect symptoms of illnesses or injuries and administer vaccines to protect animals from diseases
• Use brands, tags, or tattoos to mark livestock ownership and grade
• Herd livestock to pastures for grazing or to scales, trucks, or other enclosures

The following are examples of types of agricultural workers:

Agricultural equipment operators use a variety of farm equipment to plow and sow seeds, as well as to maintain and harvest crops. They may use machines such as tractors, balers, conveyor belts, fertilizer spreaders, and threshers. Workers also may adjust and make minor repairs to the machines and equipment.

Animal breeders select animals that will mate and produce offspring with desired traits and characteristics. For example, they breed chickens that lay more eggs, pigs that produce leaner meat, and sheep with more desirable wool. Others breed and raise cats, dogs, and other household pets.

To know which animals to breed and when to breed them, animal breeders keep detailed records. Breeders note an animal’s health, size, and weight, as well as the amount and quality of its product or byproduct. Animal breeders also track the traits of animals’ offspring.

Some animal breeders consult with farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers about their livestock.

Crop, nursery, and greenhouse farmworkers and laborers perform numerous tasks related to growing and harvesting grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and other crops. They plant, seed, prune, irrigate, and harvest crops, and pack and load them for shipment.

Farmworkers also apply fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides to crops. They repair fences and some farm equipment.

Nursery and greenhouse workers prepare land or greenhouse beds for growing horticultural products, such as trees, plants, flowers, and sod. They also plant, water, prune, weed, and spray the plants. They may cut, roll, and stack sod; stake trees; tie, wrap, and pack plants to fill orders; and dig up or move field-grown shrubs and trees.

Farm and ranch animal farmworkers care for live animals, including cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, horses, poultry, finfish, shellfish, and bees. These animals usually are raised to supply meat, skins, feathers, eggs, milk, or honey.

Farmworkers may feed, herd, brand, weigh, and load animals. They also keep records on animals; examine animals to detect diseases and injuries; and administer medications, vaccinations, or insecticides.

Many workers clean and maintain animal housing areas every day. On dairy farms, animal farmworkers operate milking machines.

Important Qualities

Dexterity. Agricultural workers need excellent hand-eye coordination to harvest crops and operate farm machinery.

Listening skills. Agricultural workers must listen carefully to ensure that they understand instructions from farmers and other agricultural managers and supervisors.

Mechanical skills. Agricultural workers must be able to operate complex farm machinery. They also occasionally do routine maintenance on the equipment.

Physical stamina. Agricultural workers must have physical endurance because they do laborious tasks repeatedly.

Physical strength. Agricultural workers must be strong enough to lift heavy objects, including tools and crops.

Tasks On The Job

1. Clean stalls, pens, and equipment, using disinfectant solutions, brushes, shovels, water hoses, or pumps.
2. Collect, inspect, and place eggs in incubators, operate machines for egg washing, candling, and grading, and pack eggs in cartons.
3. Drive trucks, tractors, and other equipment to distribute feed to animals.
4. Examine animals to detect illness, injury, or disease, and to check physical characteristics, such as rate of weight gain.
5. Feed and water livestock and monitor food and water supplies.
6. Groom, clip, trim, or castrate animals, dock ears and tails, or shear coats to collect hair.
7. Herd livestock to pastures for grazing or to scales, trucks, or other enclosures.
8. Inspect, maintain, and repair equipment, machinery, buildings, pens, yards, and fences.
9. Maintain growth, feeding, production, and cost records.
10. Mark livestock to identify ownership and grade, using brands, tags, paint, or tattoos.
11. Milk animals such as cows and goats, by hand or using milking machines.
12. Mix feed, additives, and medicines in prescribed portions.
13. Move equipment, poultry, or livestock from one location to another, manually or using trucks or carts.
14. Order food for animals, and arrange for its delivery.
15. Patrol grazing lands on horseback or using all-terrain vehicles.
16. Perform duties related to livestock reproduction, such as breeding animals within appropriate timeframes, performing artificial inseminations, and helping with animal births.
17. Protect herds from predators, using trained dogs.
18. Provide medical treatment, such as administering medications and vaccinations, or arrange for veterinarians to provide more extensive treatment.
19. Segregate animals according to weight, age, color, and physical condition.
20. Shift animals between grazing areas to ensure that they have sufficient access to food.
21. Spray livestock with disinfectants and insecticides, or dip or bathe animals.
22. Trim and shear poultry beaks, toes, and wings using debeaking machines, heated hand shears, or hot wires.