Careers in Production Agriculture
Animal Husbandry Professional
Job Description
Animal husbandry refers to a wide range of job types that focus on the care and breeding of different kinds of animals. Professionals in the field include livestock, dairy and poultry farmers. These farm professionals are responsible for breeding, marketing and caring for the animals on the farm. Daily tasks include feeding animals, cleaning stalls and pens, helping with births and maintaining equipment. Animal husbandry professionals either perform the work themselves or oversee other workers, depending on the size of the farm. In addition to animal care taking, animal husbandry professionals often assist in the maintenance and repair of facilities for their wards.
Skills
- Physical strength and the ability to work outdoors for long hours
- accounting
- organizational and marketing skills
- ability to get along and communicate with others
- deductive reasoning to determine if an animal is ill or injured
- management skills
Preparation
Individuals interested in becoming an animal husbandry professional may choose to complete formal education in the form of an associate's degree program or the completion of vocational training. You also may develop experience on the job through an entry-level position. Although some animal husbandry professionals hold a high school diploma, many have earned degrees in farm management or other related fields from a school of agriculture. Farm management degree programs include technical farm training, as well as courses in economics, marketing and the environment. Despite this trend, many farm professionals are trained on the job by more experienced animal husbandry professionals or gain experience from living on farms their entire lives.
Source: Education Portal