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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Hog Herder

💰 $ - $

AgricultureLivestockFarm OperationsAnimal Husbandry

🎯 Role Definition

A Hog Herder is responsible for the day-to-day care, movement, health monitoring, and husbandry of swine on small to large-scale swine operations. The role emphasizes animal welfare, biosecurity, and efficient herd management through feeding, breeding support, farrowing and weaning assistance, medication administration, facility maintenance, and accurate record keeping. A successful candidate combines practical livestock handling skills with attention to detail, safety-first mindset, and the ability to follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) and veterinary guidance.

Keywords: hog herder, swine handler, swine herd management, animal husbandry, biosecurity, feeding schedule, farrowing assistance, weaning, veterinary assistant, livestock operations.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Farm Laborer with basic livestock experience
  • Swine Barn Assistant or Swine Technician Trainee
  • General Livestock Handler or Ranch Hand

Advancement To:

  • Lead Hog Herder / Senior Swine Technician
  • Production Supervisor / Barn Manager
  • Swine Operations Manager or Breeding Program Coordinator

Lateral Moves:

  • Swine Veterinary Technician (with training/certification)
  • Feed Mill Operator or Nutrition Specialist (with feed/quality experience)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Manage daily herd movement and pen assignment for groups of breeding sows, boars, and market hogs, ensuring animals are safely handled, properly sorted by age/size, and moved with minimal stress to support welfare and production targets.
  • Implement and maintain feeding schedules, ration distribution, and feed inventory management for multiple barns, adjusting feed programs under guidance of nutrition plans to optimize growth rates and feed conversion.
  • Monitor herd health continuously by performing daily visual inspections, identifying signs of illness or injury (respiratory distress, lameness, lethargy, lesions), and promptly isolating and reporting sick animals to supervisory staff or the on-call veterinarian.
  • Assist in farrowing operations including preparing farrowing pens, assisting sows during farrowing when needed, monitoring neonatal piglets for viability and colostrum intake, and executing cross-fostering and supplemental feeding protocols to minimize piglet mortality.
  • Conduct routine medication and vaccination administration per veterinary protocols and SOPs, including accurate dosing, route adherence, record documentation, and safe handling/storage of veterinary pharmaceuticals and injectables.
  • Execute weaning protocols including sorting, transitioning piglets to nursery environments, monitoring feed/water intake post-weaning, and applying management practices to reduce stress and post-weaning growth checks.
  • Maintain biosecurity and sanitation protocols including footbaths, disinfection of equipment, controlled entry/exit of barns, and compliance with farm-level disease prevention programs to protect herd health and comply with USDA/industry guidelines.
  • Maintain accurate herd records including births, deaths, medication logs, breeding dates, breeding outcomes, weight monitoring, and feed consumption using paper or digital record systems to support traceability and production analytics.
  • Participate in breeding and artificial insemination activities under supervision, including sow heat detection, timing of insemination, semen handling, and basic breeding records to support reproductive efficiency.
  • Perform facility and equipment maintenance such as repairing fencing, gates, pen partitions, waterers, feeders and basic electrical or plumbing fixes to ensure safe and functional animal housing and to reduce downtime.
  • Operate small tractors, skid steers, manure spreaders, loaders, and other farm machinery safely and efficiently for feeding, bedding distribution, waste handling, and barn maintenance tasks while following equipment safety protocols.
  • Manage manure handling and waste systems including cleaning pens, moving/stockpiling slurry or solids, monitoring lagoon levels, and participating in nutrient management practices to meet environmental compliance and farm sanitation standards.
  • Conduct daily water system checks across barns to confirm pressure, flow, heater function, and absence of contamination; troubleshoot and report water system issues that affect animal health and hydration.
  • Enforce and exemplify on-farm safety and compliance policies including PPE usage, hazard reporting, confined-space awareness, lockout/tagout for equipment, and safe lifting/handling techniques to minimize workplace injury.
  • Coordinate and train seasonal or temporary staff on standard operatings procedures (SOPs), animal handling techniques, welfare standards, and job-specific tasks to maintain consistent herd care and operational efficiency.
  • Assist veterinarians during herd health visits, necropsies, and diagnostic sampling by collecting blood, swabs, and tissue samples according to biosecure sampling protocols and preparing documentation for laboratory submission.
  • Prepare and manage farrowing and nursery environments for optimal thermal comfort, including bedding management, heat lamp/hutch systems, and environmental monitoring to reduce piglet mortality and sickness.
  • Implement and track performance metrics such as daily weight gains, mortality rates, feed conversion ratios, and breeding success to support continuous improvement initiatives and production forecasting.
  • Support culling and market logistics by identifying animals meeting cull or market criteria, coordinating movement to loading areas, and ensuring humane handling and accurate transport documentation.
  • Ensure inventory and supply management of bedding, feed, ear tags, medicines, PPE, and consumables by monitoring stock levels, placing orders, and verifying deliveries for uninterrupted farm operations.
  • Execute emergency response procedures including euthanasia under veterinary direction, emergency medical interventions for animals, and participation in disease outbreak containment measures to protect herd and public health.
  • Contribute to continuous improvement by providing frontline operational feedback on barn workflow, equipment performance, and health trends to supervisors and production managers for process optimization.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
  • Assist in training materials and SOP documentation updates related to animal care, biosecurity, and equipment operation.
  • Participate in cross-functional meetings with nutritionists, veterinarians, and production managers to align on herd health and productivity goals.
  • Support seasonal projects such as facility upgrades, biosecurity audits, and internal quality assurance reviews.
  • Engage with external auditors or inspectors during farm inspections, providing operational context and records as needed.
  • Foster positive owner and community relations when engaging with visiting buyers, inspectors, or contractors on-site.
  • Maintain cleanliness and organization of feed rooms, veterinary supply areas, and equipment storage to ensure traceability and quick access during operations.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Livestock handling and low-stress animal movement techniques specific to swine (sorting, loading, deworming, cross-fostering).
  • Swine health assessment: identifying clinical signs, triage, isolation procedures, and basic wound care.
  • Farrowing and neonatal piglet care: assisted farrowing, colostrum management, piglet processing (iron shots, notching/ear tagging).
  • Medication and vaccination administration: proper dosing calculations, injection techniques, and medication record-keeping.
  • Basic mechanical aptitude: small engine and farm equipment operation (tractors, skid steers, loaders), preventive maintenance, and safe operation certifications.
  • Manure management and environmental stewardship: lagoon maintenance, slurry handling, and nutrient management basics.
  • Biosecurity protocols and disease prevention measures, including disinfection procedures and controlled access processes.
  • Record-keeping and data entry: production logs, electronic herd management systems (e.g., PigCHAMP, AgriWebb, or similar), Excel competency for reporting.
  • Feed handling and nutritional program implementation: feed batching, delivery systems, and monitoring feed conversion metrics.
  • Emergency animal care and euthanasia procedures under veterinary guidance and local regulations.
  • Facility maintenance skills: plumbing, basic electrical troubleshooting, carpentry for pen and building repairs.
  • Sample collection and lab submission protocols for veterinary diagnostics.
  • Safe handling of chemicals and pharmaceuticals, including MSDS awareness and proper storage.

Soft Skills

  • Strong observation and situational awareness to detect subtle changes in animal behavior and environment.
  • Communication skills for clear reporting to supervisors, vets, and cross-functional teams.
  • Problem-solving and critical thinking applied to on-farm operational challenges and animal health events.
  • Teamwork and leadership ability when supervising seasonal staff or coordinating with production teams.
  • Reliability and a strong work ethic with willingness to work early mornings, weekends, and extended hours during peak seasons.
  • Adaptability and capacity to follow written SOPs and adjust to evolving biosecurity or production requirements.
  • Time management and organizational skills to balance routine chores, record-keeping, and emergency responses.
  • Attention to detail for accurate medication dosing, record entries, and compliance with regulatory documentation.
  • Commitment to animal welfare and ethical treatment in all handling and husbandry tasks.
  • Stress tolerance and emotional resilience when dealing with urgent health issues or high-pressure situations.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or equivalent preferred; completion of agricultural or animal science coursework advantageous.

Preferred Education:

  • Associate degree or certificate in Animal Science, Agriculture, Livestock Management, Veterinary Technology, or related field.
  • Accredited farm safety and equipment operator training certificates (e.g., tractor, forklift).

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Animal Science
  • Veterinary Technology
  • Agriculture and Farm Management
  • Swine Production or Livestock Management
  • Agricultural Mechanization / Equipment Operation

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 1 to 5+ years of hands-on experience in swine production, hog handling, or general livestock operations.

Preferred:

  • 3+ years experience on commercial swine operations with direct responsibility for farrowing, nursery, or finishing barns.
  • Demonstrated experience with herd health programs, vaccinating and medicating livestock, and assisting with breeding/farrowing operations.
  • Experience using herd management software, basic data entry skills, and comfort with performance metrics and production reporting.
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