The primary objective of the Poultry Care Technician I is to support the operations team by verifying flock health and ensuring that the farm stays audit-ready through quality assurance functions such as internal audits, procedure verification, sample collection, regular communication with barn and maintenance staff, and supporting employee engagement and buy-in on promoting animal welfare.It is the responsibility of a Poultry Care Technician I to:
Ensure that all federal, compliance, and trial samples are taken and shipped in a timely manner. Samples may include:- Serology blood draws
- Environmental Salmonella testing
- Bursal samples
- Manure samples for detecting parasites
- Tissue samples for lab submission
Perform internal audits and procedure verifications to ensure flock health and that our farm is audit ready and expose any areas we can improve upon. - Monthly Barn audits
- Bi-monthly Mill audits
- Quarterly facility audits
- Vaccination audits and related record-keeping
- Flock housing audits
Conduct weekly visits to each barn to collect flock information and convey pertinent information to Director of Poultry Health or document in digital logs. - Measuring bird weights or verification of any weight data collected by another team
- Weekly equipment checks
- Necropsy
- Pest control records (where applicable)
Regularly communicate with barn staff and maintenance to understand their needs and concerns with factors that contribute to animal health and welfare and to support employee engagement and buy-in on this topic. Fill in for Poultry Care Attendants or support operations as needed by participating in cross-team tasks such as:- Chick Deliveries
- Bird moves
- Vaccinations (mixing, spray and/or hand-administering)
- Manure curtain cleaning and maintenance
- Leadership initiatives such as Onboarding Mentor, Safety or Wellness committee, etc.
Participate in annual certification audits and help gather the required paperwork for these audits as necessary.Required knowledge, skills, experience, and abilities:
- This position is mobile in nature requiring moderate to high energy levels and occasional physical exertion. There is exposure to environmental conditions such as heat, cold, temperature changes, agricultural noise and hazards usually accompanied by visits to agricultural facilities
- May require significant driving time as duties will be fulfilled at multiple locations
- May require a lot of walking and exposure to poultry house environment and pullet and laying hens
- Must be able to lift and carry up to 30 lbs.
- Perform job duties independently
- Manage time to be able to complete all job-related tasks without direct supervision
- Intermediate computer skills working with Microsoft Office (Excel, Outlook, etc.)
- Data analytical skills
- Complete Poultry Care Attendant training
- Associates degree in animal science or related field or equivalent work experience in animal production setting required.
- Minimum of two years of experience in animal production setting or in the veterinary field.