Position: Farm Worker - JP
Status: Full-time, Non-Exempt
Department: Main Farm / South Farm / Pullet Farm / JP Farm
Reports To: Farm Manager
Location: Portales, New Mexico
About Us
At Hoover’s Hatchery, we don’t just hatch chicks — we support farmers, homesteaders, feed stores, and families across the country. Headquartered in Rudd, Iowa, our team serves customers nationwide while staying rooted in the values of hard work, accountability, and community.
As a stable and growing agricultural business, we operate in an industry that continues to thrive. Our farm workers play a critical role in the operational success of the company, providing the hands-on care of our poultry flocks that leadership and customers depend on every day.
Unlike large corporate environments where roles can be narrow and repetitive, our farm teams gain hands-on experience across multiple aspects of poultry care – feeding, flock health monitoring, egg collection, breeder activities, and facility maintenance. This creates a dynamic work environment where motivated individuals can build practical agricultural skills and grow within the organization.
At Hoover’s Hatchery, every role contributes to a business that supports customers across the country while staying grounded in the values of hard work and reliability. If you’re not afraid of hands-on work, take pride in caring for animals, and want a farm job where your work matters and your contributions are visible, we want to hear from you.
Why Join Our Team?
- Stable and growing company with national reach
- Hands-on experience across multiple areas of poultry care
- Collaborative team environment with leadership visibility
- Structured processes and clear expectations
- Competitive compensation and full-time benefits
- Located in New Mexico with a the opportunity to be part of a close-knit farm team
Job Summary
The Farm Worker is responsible for supporting daily operations. This role involves hands-on care of poultry, including feeding, monitoring health, egg collection, and assisting in breeder activities. This position also includes maintaining cleanliness and functionality of the poultry facilities and ensuring adherence to biosecurity, animal welfare, and safety protocols. This role requires physical stamina, attention to detail, and the ability to work in varying environmental conditions. Farm workers may shift from one farm to another, based on the needs of the company.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Feeds, waters, and monitors health of poultry flocks.
- Collects eggs from poultry and pack as needed.
- Observes for signs of illness or distress and report issues promptly.
- Administers medication or vaccines as directed.
- Cleans and disinfects poultry houses and equipment.
- Operates and maintains ventilation, lighting, and feeding systems.
- Performs minor repairs and notifies supervisors of maintenance needs.
- Records data on flock health, feed consumption, egg production, and mortality.
- Assists with preparation and loading of poultry and/or eggs.
- Ensures proper handling and care during all production processes.
- Follows all farm biosecurity and safety protocols.
- Wears required PPE and adheres to health and hygiene standards.
- Participates in all required training sessions.
- Performs all other tasks as assigned by management.
Job Qualifications
- Previous experience in agriculture or poultry preferred but not required.
- Willingness to work weekends, holidays, and shifts as needed.
- Basic reading and math skills; ability to complete daily logs and forms.
- Must be willing to handle live poultry
Competencies
- Ethical conduct
- Customer servitude
- Tenacity
- Strong computer skills
- High level of confidentiality
- Problem solving/analysis
- Ability to adapt to change
- Ability to work well with others
- Great organization skills
- Able to successfully meet deadlines
- Strong communication skills
- Motivated and self-directed
- Able to prioritize and multi-task
- Effective in a team environment
Physical Demands
- Requires the ability to tolerate unpleasant odors associated with eggs and poultry of various quality
- Normal corrective vision range, ability to see color and distinguish letters, numbers, and symbols
- Frequently required to sit, walk, talk, hear, bend, reach, stand, stoop, crawl, crouch, push, pull, twist, turn, balance, climb, and stretch
- Requires the ability to perform physical labor requiring continual use of motor skills and manual dexterity
- Repetitive tasks and physical labor required.
- Requires regular exposure to dust, odors, poultry feathers, and varying temperatures.
- Requires the routine use of PPE (e.g., gloves, masks, safety glasses, boots, etc.)
- This position may require heavy lifting, over 60 lbs.
