Poultry Care Attendant I

JOB RESPONSIBILTIES

Additional duties may be assigned as business needs require.

Strategic and tactical work for which this position is accountable:

It is the responsibility of the Poultry Care Attendant l to become familiar with Kreher’s pre-established poultry care procedures and guidelines, and while working in a supervised manner, to:

• Assist with daily care of the hens. Daily care includes maintaining drinkers and feed augers, checking lights, maintaining proper heat and humidity, and unclogging egg back-ups when necessary. 
• Follow proper safe bird handling techniques when working with the hens.
• Quickly and humanely remove mortality from cages and transport them to designated disposal areas, including the mortality trailer. 
• Maintain all records for mortality and chore checks. Keep required paperwork up-to-date. 
• Report feed outages to supervisor or feed mill manager, and note any repairs necessary to feed moving equipment.
• Assist with moving birds when necessary.
• Contacts supervisor for assistance with AEI/PMSI/Pulse and repair and maintenance needs.
• Assist in other jobs as required.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Capabilities and traits essential to perform satisfactorily

• General knowledge of animal care standards.
• High degree of initiative.
• Able to perform job duties somewhat independently.
• Ability to be flexible with working schedule - employees may need to work longer or shorter hours to meet operational needs, as determined by leadership

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• High school diploma or GED required.

• Associate’s degree in Poultry Science, Animal Science or related field is preferred.

• Animal husbandry experience is a plus.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

This position is physically active and requires regular movement throughout agricultural production and operational areas, including animal facilities, processing areas, crop fields, warehouses, shops, and other farm operation areas.

While performing the duties of this position, the employee will:

• Stand, walk, bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, reach, squat, climb, and work in a variety of positions for extended periods.
• Move throughout the workplace and farm property as needed.
• See, talk, and hear.
• Frequently lift, carry, push, and pull materials, tools, equipment, or products weighing up to 50 pounds, with occasional heavier loads as required by the job.
• May work at varying heights, climb ladders or equipment, and navigate uneven, wet, muddy, or slippery terrain.
• May drive or ride in farm equipment/vehicle for multiple hours at a time.
• Use fine motor coordination and manual dexterity to handle tools, equipment, materials, and other items necessary to complete assigned tasks.

Work is performed in indoor and outdoor farm environments and may require exposure to varying weather conditions, including heat, cold, rain, wind, and humidity. The employee may also be exposed to dust, dirt, manure, noise, odors, agricultural chemicals, machinery, vehicles, animals, and other typical farm conditions. Biosecurity measures must be followed, and appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) must be worn when required.

The employee must be able to safely perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.