Sow Farm Technician - Lafayette, MN

Wakefield Pork, Inc.; Minnesota; On-site; USD 24,796 - 30,307; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Short-term disability

Long-term disability

401(k) plan with match

Job summary

Wakefield Pork, Inc. is hiring Breeding and Farrowing Technicians in Minnesota. Responsibilities include daily swine breeding and farrowing tasks, maintaining targets, and assisting in animal care. Candidates should be prepared to lift up to 50 pounds, communicate effectively, and demonstrate teamwork. Full-time roles offer a salary of $18-$22 per hour, with benefits including vacation and insurance. Join our team to contribute to our mission of ethical animal care.

Qualifications

• Ability to lift a minimum of 50 pounds.
• Regular, consistent attendance.
• Basic math skills – addition, subtraction, multiplication.
• Clear and effective communication.

Responsibilities

• Assist with daily aspects of swine breeding and farrowing.
• Maintain breeding and farrowing targets.
• Conduct artificial insemination (AI) breeding.
• Feeding and health care for sows and piglets.

Skills

Teamwork

Basic math skills

Effective communication

Animal husbandry

Job description

Since 1991, Wakefield Pork has been an industry leader in pork production, operating from south central Minnesota to northern Iowa. We are looking for employees with different types of experiences and values. A Breeding Technician is responsible for assisting with all daily aspects of swine breeding, including maintaining breeding and farrowing targets, daily artificial insemination (AI) breeding, semen inventory and delivery, herd health and vaccination program, nutrition, isolation and acclimation of replacement gilts, and record keeping. A Farrowing Technician is responsible for assisting with all daily aspects of swine farrowing, including maintaining farrowing targets, individual sow and piglet care, feeding, farrowing, piglet health and vaccination program, nutrition, and record keeping.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Breeding

• Ensure the highest standards of ethical animal treatment
• Assist Department Lead
• Conduct artificial breeding (AI), as directed
• Perform daily estrous checks on animals and check bred groups
• Perform routine and seasonal vaccinations, as directed
• Assist with monthly inventory counts
• Perform general feed maintenance on bred and open animals
• Assist farrowing department
• Assist in maintaining all sow breeding records and documentation on sow removal records, transactions, and treatment records

Farrowing

• Ensure the highest standards of ethical animal treatment
• Assist Department Lead with preparation of pre-farrow rooms
• Execute proper farrowing of sows & execution of day one pig care
• Perform inducing of sows
• Assist Department Lead in ensuring that piglets are with the correct sow and stall; transfer and size piglets as directed
• Keep stalls full of lactating sows
• Process and castrate piglets
• Feed lactating sows as per protocol
• Assist with piglet weaning
• Assist breeding department
• Assist Department Lead with maintaining accurate documentation (i.e. weekly, monthly inventory of sows and piglets)

ALL Farm Employees

• Exhibit strong teamwork, including working to achieve team goals, embracing new technologies, working on new projects, etc.
• Maintain a clean and organized working environment
• Ensure a proper animal environment, including but not limited to ventilation, water, feed, and animal husbandry
• Maintain PQA Plus & TQA certification status
• Ensure that WPI training program requirements and procedures are being met and executed
• Assist in power washing, as assigned
• Attend and participate in all staff meetings and trainings
• Follow all safety rules and practices and encourage coworkers to do the same
• Ensure the highest level of a safe work environment
• Follow all biosecurity measures as per WPI policies

Basic Qualifications

• Be capable of lifting a minimum of 50 pounds with reasonable accommodation
• Ability to do basic math – addition, subtraction, and multiplication
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively
• Regular, consistent attendance

Preferred Qualifications

• Industry experience preferred, but not required

Physical Demands

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to have ordinary ambulatory skills sufficient to move throughout the farm; and the ability to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, climb 3-foot gates, and manipulate (lift, carry, move) light to medium weights of up to 50 pounds. Position requires good hand-eye coordination, arm, hand and finger dexterity, including ability to grasp. Frequently required, for extended periods of time, to sit, stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, and communicate.

Organizational Relationships

• Interacts closely with Sow Barn Manager, Department Leads, and other Technicians

Hours

• Typically, Monday – Friday 7:00 am – 4:00 pm (actual hours vary by location) and an every 3rd weekend rotation

Pay and Benefits

• Full-time employees are eligible for paid vacation, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, HSA account, and 401(k) with match.
• $18-$22 per hour
• Wages and salaries are set commensurate with the employee’s skills and experience and in accordance with Wakefield Pork’s wage and benefit policies.

Position requires a high level of respect for team members and animals. Must demonstrate communication and time-management skills, as well as the ability to adapt and function effectively in a fast paced, changing environment. Preceding statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed of this position. This list is not all-inclusive as additional duties may be assigned. ** = This duty is not to be performed by individuals who are asthmatic, pregnant or wanting to conceive, etc.