Career summary

Details for Animal Breeders


Description

Breed animals, including cattle, goats, horses, sheep, swine, poultry, dogs, cats, or pet birds. Select and breed animals according to their genealogy, characteristics, and offspring. May require a knowledge of artificial insemination techniques and equipment use. May involve keeping records on heats, birth intervals, or pedigree.

Tasks

  • Feed and water animals, and clean and disinfect pens, cages, yards, and hutches.
  • Examine animals to detect symptoms of illness or injury.
  • Place vaccines in drinking water, inject vaccines, or dust air with vaccine powder to protect animals from diseases.
  • Select animals to be bred, and semen specimens to be used, according to knowledge of animals, genealogies, traits, and desired offspring characteristics.
  • Treat minor injuries and ailments and contact veterinarians to obtain treatment for animals with serious illnesses or injuries.
  • Observe animals in heat to detect approach of estrus and exercise animals to induce or hasten estrus, if necessary.
  • Record animal characteristics such as weights, growth patterns, and diets.
  • Exhibit animals at shows.
  • Build hutches, pens, and fenced yards.
  • Clip or shear hair on animals.
  • Attach rubber collecting sheaths to genitals of tethered bull and stimulate animal's organ to induce ejaculation.
  • Package and label semen to be used for artificial insemination, recording information such as the date, source, quality, and concentration.
  • Prepare containers of semen for freezing and storage or shipment, placing them in dry ice or liquid nitrogen.
  • Maintain logs of semen specimens used and animals bred.
  • Arrange for sale of animals and eggs to hospitals, research centers, pet shops, and food processing plants.
  • Measure specified amounts of semen into calibrated syringes, and insert syringes into inseminating guns.
  • Inject prepared animal semen into female animals for breeding purposes, by inserting nozzle of syringe into vagina and depressing syringe plunger.
  • Adjust controls to maintain specific building temperatures required for animals' health and safety.
  • Examine semen microscopically to assess and record density and motility of gametes, and dilute semen with prescribed diluents, according to formulas.
  • Brand, tattoo, or tag animals to allow animal identification.
  • Perform procedures such as animal dehorning or castration.
  • Purchase and stock supplies of feed and medicines.
  • Bathe and groom animals.
  • Exercise animals to keep them in healthy condition.

Interests

  • Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
  • Investigative - Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Education, training, experience

  • Education - These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
  • Training - Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
  • Experience - Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.

Knowledge

  • Mathematics -Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • Administration and Management -Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
  • Clerical -Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
  • Sales and Marketing -Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
  • Customer and Personal Service -Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Skills

None found.

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