Herdsperson Apprentice: Farm Animal Care Pro

Smithfield Foods; Jamesport (MO); On-site; USD 19,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

Smithfield Foods is seeking a Herdsperson to support herd technicians in daily animal care at our Missouri site. You will help with feeding, vaccination, and general husbandry to ensure animal welfare and productive work flows on the farm.

This role requires the ability to perform hard physical labor, work long hours including weekends and holidays, and be on-call for emergencies. Strong teamwork and reliability are essential in a fast-paced environment at Smithfield.

Qualifications

• High School diploma or GED preferred.
• Must be able to perform hard physical labor.
• Must be able to work an average 48-hour work week, which can vary frequently.
• Weekend, evening, and holiday work required as needed.
• Must be on call for emergency situations to include but not limit to power outages or personnel shortages.
• Ability to work well with others in fast paced, dynamic environment.
• Willingness to shower daily in and out of facility.

Responsibilities

• Feeds, waters, vaccinates, and performs general animal husbandry tasks including basic veterinary procedures.
• Assists in moving animals and maintaining efficient animal flows.
• Sanitizes and washes multiple areas on the farm using high pressure equipment.
• Processes piglets, including injecting medications, castration, tail docking, and ear notching.
• Maintains accurate production information and updates department records as required.
• Treats sick animals with a variety of pharmaceuticals by injection, oral application, or other methods as required.
• Follows SOPs, production manuals, or training guides as required.
• Assists with facility and equipment maintenance.
• Assists with maintaining barn, office cleanliness, and laundry duties.
• Follows Smithfield’s animal welfare policies and procedures.

Skills

Livestock handling

Hard physical labor

Teamwork

On-call emergencies

Safety & cleanliness

Education

High School diploma or GED preferred

Job description

Smithfield Foods is seeking a Herdsperson to support herd technicians in daily animal care at our Missouri site. You will help with feeding, vaccination, and general husbandry to ensure animal welfare and productive work flows on the farm.

This role requires the ability to perform hard physical labor, work long hours including weekends and holidays, and be on-call for emergencies. Strong teamwork and reliability are essential in a fast-paced environment at Smithfield.