RANGE LIVESTOCK HERDER

Period of intended employment: 12/01/2026 through 09/30/2027. Minimum of 6 months experience with all job duties.

Responsibilities

• Administer medication as needed and apply medications to cuts and bruises.
• Assist with irrigating forage, loading and unloading livestock, sorting and cutting of culls, and weed control on grazing areas (including noxious, invasive, and poisonous plant species).
• Attend to pregnant livestock and newborn offspring, including night checks.
• Brand, tag, clip, or otherwise mark young animals for identification purposes.
• Care for newly born offspring and examine animals to detect diseases and injuries.
• Feed and water livestock, ensuring adequate provision of both; feed supplemental rations.
• Feed, water, and tend to dogs (both guard and working dogs) and horses.
• Guard against predatory animals and prevent livestock from eating poisonous and/or noxious plants.
• Herd livestock to appropriate grazing areas and identify nutrient-dense cool-season grasses.
• Identify and administer appropriate medication for health issues such as internal parasites, respiratory issues, and injuries.
• Identify livestock preparing to give birth and monitor for birthing problems, taking corrective actions when needed.
• Intensely monitor and treat both mother and young offspring vulnerable to hot or cold temperatures and sickness.
• Keep accurate records of new offspring born.
• Ensure animals have access to fresh water and monitor for dehydration or deterioration in body condition.
• Monitor animals for weight gain, thrift, and health problems, reporting behavioral changes indicating malnutrition.
• Move livestock to spring and summer grazing areas at a pace ensuring ample water/forage during daylight hours.
• Repair and/or maintain fences and facilities to ensure the safety and health of animals and forage.
• Round up strays using dogs and/or fences.
• Spray livestock with insecticide.
• Assist in the maintenance of tools, equipment, and handling facilities necessary for production.
• Assist with castration of livestock and vaccination by herding into corrals or manually restraining animals.

Requirements

• Perform tasks capably and efficiently without close supervision.
• Spend the majority of workdays on the range.
• Live and work singly or in small groups in isolated areas for extended periods.
• Ride, handle, and tend horses safely to ensure the well-being of workers, co-workers, horses, and livestock.
• Work outdoors in all types of weather, with occasional exposure to hazards such as poisonous snakes, biting insects, and extreme temperatures.
• Work with and around farm machinery, including tractors for supplemental feeding and ATVs for livestock movement.
• Be available up to 24 hours per day, 7 days a week.