Part Time Farm Assistant (Livestock - Sheep & Poultry)

Nyfarmlandfinder; New York (NY); On-site; USD 17,000 - 25,000; Part time

Job summary

Dashing Star Farm in Millerton, NY seeks a part-time farm worker to join a small, pasture-based operation. Work will be on-site with 15–20 hours per week, with some flexibility for livestock needs and weather. Weekend morning animal chores may be required; future expansion to full time is possible.

No housing provided. Responsibilities include feeding and watering sheep and poultry, barn maintenance, wool handling, egg collection, and general farm tasks.

Responsibilities

• Provide daily care for sheep and poultry, including feeding, watering and moving livestock as needed.
• Perform barn cleaning, beddings, and general farm maintenance.
• Assist with lambing season monitoring and basic veterinary-related tasks under supervision.
• Collect eggs and manage poultry housing and sanitation.
• Assist with wool handling, shearing support, and sorting of wool.
• Move irrigation hoses, maintain waterers and troughs, and manage grazing shifts.

Job description

Location: Millerton, NY(Hudson Valley, Dutchess County)

Term:Part-time, Year round

Dashing Star Farm is a humane and sustainable New York State Grown & Certified sheep and poultry operation located on an over 200 year old farmstead in the Coleman Station Historic District in the Town of North East, Dutchess County in the Hudson Valley. Our livestock have free range on rotated pastures and are fed locally grown, non-GMO, and organic supplementary whole grains and forages, producing high quality, hand-crafted fiber products, Grade AA eggs, and USDA inspected lamb. We have been in operation since 1994 and participate in many farmers markets, fiber events (e.g. the NY State Sheep and Wool Festival) and also have an ecommerce site https://www.dashingstarfarm.com . Our sheep are a unique flock, created through a 17 year crossbreeding program. We strive to have three separate lambing seasons per year. Our laying hens are heritage breeds raised here from day-old chicks. We make extensive use of email marketing and social media.

Job Description

This position is a part time w-2 position with hours expected to be 15-20 hours per week on site with a 3-4 day work week, with some degree of flexibility required dependent upon livestock needs and weather.Morning weekend work may be required to cover morning animal chores on farmers market days. The position does have the potential to become full time (40-50 hours per week) in the future. Some work weeks in February through May might shift days in order to have coverage to observe sheep during the winter/spring lambing season. Additionally, work days may be adjusted due to weather. Personal tasks and non-farm work related cell phone calls/texts/emails are restricted to lunch break or other unpaid time. Unlimited unpaid sick days are available, and hours missed can be made up, but adherence to the scheduled workdays and punctuality are essential. Employee is expected to adhere to employee handbook, which will be issued at time of formal hiring.

Tasks involve physical labor and the ability to lift items weighing 40 to 50 lbs. The employee is also required to work with livestock – sheep and poultry.The employee is responsible for providing their own suitable work clothing, outerwear, and footwear. It is important for biosecurity that these items are unique to working at our farm, or are sanitized fully prior to each work session to avoid transmission of undesirable contaminants from another farm facility. Work gloves, hand sanitizer and facemasks are supplied by the employer. The employee is responsible for maintaining proper social distancing and hand sanitation.

Work conditions include rain, snow, heat and cold.The work environment varies from indoors, updating records for sheep and poultry and grazing management, to outdoors and includes working in barns around dust and animal bedding. Tools worked with include wheelbarrows, pitchforks, rakes, shovels, lopping shears, grass shears, brooms, dustpans, vacuums and scrapers.

Daily tasks include providing livestock with feedstocks and water, including moving buckets of grain and water and bales of hay.At times the employee will be required to assist in moving and securing sheep and lambs including the use of halters and other restraints and assisting with livestock requiring mediations or treatments. The employee is also required to assist with regular FAMACHA and body condition scoring checks of sheep and lambs and biannual testing of poultry. Preparation of microscope McMaster slides for fecal sampling will also be required. Basic observations of livestock conditions are expected, as is communicating any concerns to the employer.

Wool picking is another regular task expected to be performed. This involves standing at or sitting next to a wool rack, removing vegetative matter from wool fleece and sorting it by texture and color. It also requires lifting and moving full bags of wool.Assistance with sorting and bagging wool when shearing is taking place is also required.

Other work tasks include, but are not limited to:

• Barn cleaning and interim cleaning of pens/sheds and re-bedding same with clean hay
• Weeding fence lines, pruning shrubs and brush and weeding herb gardens, mowing grass
• Moving irrigation hoses, setting up outdoor waterers and water/feed troughs
• Shift animals between grazing areas to ensure that they have sufficient access to feed and water
• Cleaning and installing paper liners in the chicken brooder unit
• Cleaning and re-bedding chicken roosts
• Sewing, fiber work, cutting fabric, brushing sheepskins
• Shoveling snow or bedding away from doorways and pen entries
• Scrubbing livestock waterers and buckets regularly
• Accepting packages that are delivered to the farm and providing packages to couriers
• Unloading bags of feed and salt and putting them into receptacles
• Assisting with seasonal installation/storage of air conditioning units and fans
• Collecting eggs daily from nest boxes and around barns
• Maintaining farm security by checking gates and doors are properly closed or open
• Downloading data from trailcams for upload to SNAPSHOT NY
• Monitoring pastures and buildings for predator incursions and applying appropriate deterrents

The position is based on the farm in Millerton, NY and is available immediately. It is an excellent opportunity for someone interested in learning all aspects of a small pasture-based farming operation. Employees are required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and have an up to date tetanus vaccination. No housing is available on the farm for employees. An additional requirement is that in the event the employee finds it necessary to end the employment at the farm subsequent to hiring, three full week's notice are expected as a matter of courtesy.