Winter Range Sheepherder

H2ajobs; Cedar City (UT); On-site; USD 18,000 - 24,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employer-provided housing

Meals provided

Transportation support

Job summary

H2ajobs seeks a diligent range worker to tend sheep on the winter range. You will monitor, feed and water livestock, assist with medical care, and maintain fencing and facilities to protect animals in harsh conditions.

Responsibilities include breaking ice from water sources, roping to immobilize animals when needed, and coordinating with the employer for shelter, meals, and travel arrangements. This is a demanding outdoors role requiring resilience.

Qualifications

• Experience with tending horses and sheep in outdoor field conditions.
• Ability to perform basic emergency care for livestock.
• Comfort working in extreme cold and remote locations.
• Capable of following roping methods to immobilize animals safely.
• Willing to live and work on range for extended periods.

Responsibilities

• Attend to sheep on the range during winter, monitoring health and safety.
• Administer basic medical care to sick or injured animals as needed.
• Break ice from water sources and assist with water supply for animals.
• Feed, water, and tend to dogs, horses, and livestock daily.
• Repair and maintain fences and facilities to protect animals.
• Herd and move livestock to appropriate grazing areas with care.
• Monitor weather and protect animals from hypothermia and stress.

Skills

Horse handling

Livestock care

Emergency medical basics

Roping techniques

Water hauling

Fence and facilities upkeep

Weather resilience

Tools

Horse gear & roping tools

Fence repair tools

Dog/horse tending equipment

Job description

Required to be available up to 24 hours per day, 7 days a week and spend the majority of workdays on the range. All job duties are closely and directly related to the production of sheep.

Perform any combination of the following tasks to attend to sheep on the range during the winter season: administer emergency minor medical care to sick/injured pregnant ewes using roping methods to gently immobilize animal without causing undue stress; assist with hauling water when winter and drought conditions eliminate natural sources of water for sheep; assist with supplemental feeding (when weather or quality of forage precludes use of range forage); attend to pregnant ewes in cold winter temperatures; break ice over frozen water sources; detect direction from which the wind or prevailing storms are coming to keep ewes gathered and safe; detect through winter tracking methods where other rancher(s)' livestock has been to avoid overgrazing of forage; feed, water and tend to the dogs (both guard and working dogs) and horses; guard against predators prevalent during the winter months using appropriate tracking, trapping, and hunting methods ; herd sheep to appropriate grazing areas using winter trailing methods to avoid undue stress; intensely monitor and treat sheep vulnerable to the colder temperatures and sickness; maintain and set up supply wagon in appropriate direction to provide wind

break/shelter/protection for horses & dogs; make sufficient water from snow for horses/dogs at camp; move pregnant ewes at a pace sufficient to ensure they receive ample water/forage during daylight hours before bedding down at night; operate camp stove appropriately to provide/conserve heat in extreme cold/high winds; properly hobble camp horses; properly use/store food supplies for herder/horses/dogs; repair and/or maintain fence and facilities to ensure the safety and health of animals and forage; report to employer dehydration & other indicators of deterioration in animal body condition/behavioral changes indicating malnutrition or disease; report to rancher on

water/forage/weather conditions; use proper animal husbandry skill to prevent hypothermia/abortion/death.

Perform any combination of the following tasks to attend to sheep on the ranch during the winter season: administer emergency minor medical care to sick/injured pregnant ewes using roping methods to gently immobilize animal without causing undue stress; assist in the maintenance of tools, equipment and handling facilities necessary to production; attend to pregnant ewes in cold winter temperatures; break ice over frozen water sources; feed, water and tend to the dogs (both guard and working dogs) and horses; intensely monitor and treat sheep vulnerable to the colder temperatures and sickness; repair and/or maintain fence and facilities to ensure the safety and health of animals and forage; report to employer dehydration & other indicators of deterioration in animal body condition/behavioral changes indicating malnutrition or disease; use proper animal husbandry skill to prevent hypothermia/abortion/death.

Housing: Employer-provided (including mobile or range)

Meals: The employer will provide, without charge or deposit, three sufficient meals a day, or free and convenient cooking facilities with adequate provision of food to prepare meals. At least 4.5 gallons of potable water, per day, per worker, for drinking and cooking, delivered on a regular basis, and additional water (may be nonpotable) sufficient to meet the worker's laundry and bathing needs.

Transport: Transportation to the place of employment (inbound):The employer will provide or pay for commercial bus or airline service to workers, or permit workers to select any means of transportation they choose and reimburse workers at no less than the most economical and reasonable common carrier transportation charges for the distance involved. Upon completion of 50% of the work contract period, the employer will reimburse worker for reasonable costs incurred by the worker for transportation and daily

Experience wanted: 6 months

Required to: to ride, handle and tend horses in a manner to assure the safety and health of the worker, co-workers, horses, dogs and livestock, perform tasks capably and efficiently without close supervision, spend the majority of work days on the range, work outdoors in all types of weather and may experience occasional exposure to hazards such as poisonous snakes, biting insects and extreme temperature, live and work singly or in small groups of workers in isolated areas for extended periods of time, maintain and manage remote housing locations in a safe and responsible manner.