WINTER RANGE SHEEPHERDER

Randall M. Jones; Eugene (OR); On-site; USD 17,000 - 28,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employer-provided housing

Meals provided

Job summary

H2ajobs is seeking a range herder to manage flocks on US range lands in Oregon. The role requires 3 months of experience with large flocks and the ability to handle extreme winter conditions to prevent losses.

You will water, feed, and monitor nutrition, assist in lambing and routine veterinary tasks, and protect livestock from predators, primarily on the range with job housing provided.

Qualifications

• 3 months experience with 800-1000 head flocks.
• Ability to identify approaching storm periods and take precautions to protect livestock.

Responsibilities

• Move pregnant ewes to lambing grounds and assist during labor.
• Assist in branding, castrating, vaccinating, tagging and worming.
• Protect livestock from predators and monitor herd health.
• Provide water and emergency supplemental feed, including water trough maintenance.
• Disperse and manage livestock on range to optimize bonding and reduce overcrowding.
• Move ewes and lambs to summer range and work mostly on range.

Skills

Livestock handling

Job description

Must have 3 months experience with 800 - 1000 head flocks. One reference required. The employee must be able to identify approaching storm periods and make precautions to prevent the herd from drifting against a fence line where they pile up and get drifted over with snow and freeze to death. The herder must be experienced in handling extreme winter conditions on a range to prevent death in sheep, goats, horses, and dogs. Due to animals exerting more energy during the winter months especially in extreme winter weather, the herder will need to monitor the nutritional needs of an animal throughout winter. Ensure that animals have access to unfrozen water and to distribute emergency supplemental feed. Monitor snow levels to prevent sheep/goats from being paralyzed in deep snow or caught up against a fence. Herders need to have experience in identifying animals who are not getting enough nutrition, keeping a fresh supply of water in freezing temperatures, and how to maintain animals in extreme weather conditions. May assist in lambing, docking, and shearing. The following seasonal duties will need to be performed. Herder will need to move pregnant ewes to lambing grounds. Be able to identify signs of ewes going into labor and identify potential problems during the labor process. Know how and when to assist during difficult births. Be able to properly constrain ewes for difficult births and able to graft orphan lambs to mothers. Ability to identify herd health issues including but not limited to malnutrition of ewes and lambs, prolapse and mastitis. Provide water to animals, including minor maintenance of water troughs and water lines. May need to haul water in truck to supplement animal water needs. May need to provide supplement feed for the ewes and lambs if the range has insufficient forage. Disperse livestock on the range to reduce overcrowding and increase the success of mother and lamb bonding. Protect vulnerable livestock (lambs & ewes in labor) from predators. Move Ewes and lambs and assist in branding, castrating, vaccinating, tagging, and worming. Ability to safely catch lambs with a hook. Move ewes and lambs to summer range grounds. Some work/tasks may occur off the range, but more than 51% of work will be performed on the range. Western Range Association and its member ranches facilitate practices of good animal husbandry. Employees that are found abusing, neglecting or abandoning livestock entrusted to their care may be terminated for cause. If the negligent/abusive actions of an employee result in the loss/death of livestock/animals or cause harm to another person, the employee may be held accountable for these actions. The worker will live in the employer provided range housing. Said housing will be clean and in good repair at the time it is provided to the employee. The employee is responsible to maintain the housing unit in a reasonable level of cleanliness in order to avoid flies, mice or other vermin. The employee is responsible to alert the employer of damage to the housing unit within a reasonable amount of time. The employee may be held accountable for damage to the housing unit that is the result of negligence on the part of the employee (normal wear and tear excepted). Hours worked footnote: On call for up to 24 hours 7 days a week

Housing: Employer-provided (including mobile or range)

Meals: Housing contains free and convenient cooking facilities and employer will provide three prepared meals a day or adequate food, free of charge, based on the requisition by worker, for workers to prepare their own meals while in camp or on the range. Employer may at times provide prepared meals for workers consumption. Employer will provide worker a minimum of 4.5 gallons of potable water per day per worker for drinking and cooking purposes. Additional clean water will be provided to meet the workers laundry and bathing needs.

Transport: Transportation from point of recruitment to worksite and from the worksite back to the point of recruitment will be arranged and provided by Employer. Employer will reimburse worker for subsistence costs during travel to worksite no later than the end of the first pay period upon presentation of receipts and from the worksite at the end of the job based on rates established in the applicable regulations.

Experience wanted: 3 months

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