Animal Caretaker
Swift Creek Farms Inc
At Swift Creek Farms, we value work-life balance and family/personal time. We offer a flexible schedule Monday through Friday, from 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM. Employees also receive 6 paid holidays per year and Paid Sick Time.
Pay: $20/hour to start, with a wage increase after 90-day performance review.
Job Summary
We are seeking a responsible, motivated, and detail-oriented Animal Caretaker to support the daily care and management of poultry flocks. The Animal Caretaker is responsible for monitoring bird health and welfare, ensuring proper feed and water availability, maintaining accurate records, following vaccination and medication programs, and maintaining high standards of cleanliness and biosecurity.
Previous poultry or animal-care experience is helpful but not required. Training will be provided. A positive attitude, willingness to learn, reliability, and commitment to animal welfare are key to success in this position.
Flock welfare is the highest priority. The successful candidate must be attentive to changes in bird behavior, health, environmental conditions, feed and water consumption, and production data, and must communicate concerns promptly so appropriate actions can be taken.
Key Responsibilities
- Monitor flock conditions throughout the day, including temperature, ventilation, feed, water availability, bird behavior, and overall animal welfare.
- Inspect birds regularly and identify signs of illness, injury, abnormal behavior, mortality, or other welfare concerns.
- Ensure birds have continuous access to clean water and appropriate feed.
- Weigh birds and collect flock performance information according to established procedures.
- Accurately record temperatures, feed and water consumption, mortality, body weights, vaccination/medication information, and other flock data.
- Track and analyze flock data to identify trends, recognize potential problems, and support timely decisions to protect flock health and welfare.
- Apply medications, supplements, and vaccinations according to established programs, procedures, and instructions, after appropriate training.
- Follow all animal health, welfare, vaccination, medication, and farm management protocols.
- Maintain clean, organized, and sanitary work areas.
- Follow and maintain established biosecurity procedures to help prevent the introduction and spread of disease.
- Properly handle birds using safe and humane handling practices.
- Report health, welfare, environmental, equipment, feed, water, or biosecurity concerns to the appropriate supervisor promptly.
- Assist with routine flock management activities and other farm duties as required.
- Maintain accurate and timely records and communicate relevant information effectively to the management team.
Qualifications & Skills
- No previous poultry experience is required. Comprehensive on-the-job training will be provided.
- Positive attitude and strong willingness to learn are essential.
- Ability to learn and follow animal-care, biosecurity, safety, vaccination, medication, and farm-management procedures.
- Genuine interest in working with animals and commitment to their health and welfare.
- Reliable, punctual, responsible, and willing to take direction.
- Ability to recognize changes in animal behavior and identify potential health or welfare concerns after training.
- Strong attention to detail and ability to follow established procedures.
- Ability to record, organize, and learn to interpret flock data.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
- Willingness to ask questions, learn new skills, and continuously improve.
- Ability to safely handle and care for animals.
Physical Requirements & Working Conditions
- Ability to frequently bend, kneel, crouch, and work at floor level.
- Ability to frequently lift and carry up to 20 lbs.
- Ability to stand and walk for extended periods.
- Ability to perform repetitive physical tasks associated with animal care.
- Work is performed in a chicken barn environment, where exposure to dust, feathers, feed particles, manure, varying temperatures, and other normal poultry-farm conditions may occur.
- Ability to wear required personal protective equipment (PPE).
- Must be willing to follow all farm safety, sanitation, animal welfare, and biosecurity requirements.
What We Provide
- Comprehensive on-the-job training in poultry care and flock management.
- Training in animal welfare, biosecurity, sanitation, flock monitoring, data recording, and established farm procedures.
- Opportunity to develop practical skills in poultry production and animal care.
Pay: $20.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Flexible schedule
- On-the-job training
- Paid time off
- Paid training
Application Question(s):
- Do you have chickens (hens, roosters, geese, ducks) at home?
- Are you willing to work under chicken barn conditions? (dust, feathers, manure, etc)
Work Location: In person
