Senior Livestock Farm Workers
Perform a variety of skilled tasks in managing and supervising the breeding, feeding, raising and milking of livestock for the production of breeding stock, milk, eggs, meat, wool and hair.
A dry season on the station
You are a senior stockperson on a sheep and cattle property, supervising two newer workers through a dry season. It is 6am. The paddocks are drying out, one water trough has stopped running, and a mob needs to be moved to better feed today.
Choose what you would do. Then see what happens. There are often good reasons for each choice.
The bore feeding the north trough has stopped. The cattle there will run out of water by this afternoon. I want you to move them to the south paddock today, and also fix the pump. Which do you do first?
Move the cattle first, since they are the priority, and fix the pump later
The cattle are safely in the south paddock with water by midday. You fix the pump in the afternoon. Looking after the animals before the equipment was the right order.
Fix the pump first, since moving the cattle may not be needed if the water returns
The pump is harder to fix than you thought, and by afternoon the cattle are getting stressed. Betting on a quick fix with animals depending on it is risky.
Split the crew, with one worker on each job, and run between them
Both jobs begin, but the new workers are not ready to move cattle without you. The move is clumsy and the pump takes longer. Splitting works when the people are ready for it.
One of the ewes in the yard looks a bit off. She is standing away from the others and her head is down. It might be nothing. I did not want to bother you with it, but I thought I'd say. What should I do?
Tell Taj it is probably nothing and to keep working
She gets worse overnight and the vet is called a day later than was needed. A worker pointing out a quiet animal is worth listening to.
Thank Taj, look at the ewe with him, note what you see and call the vet if she does not improve
You do the sensible thing and keep an eye on her. By evening she is no better, and you wish you had called the vet an hour earlier. A watch-and-wait plan needs a clear limit.
Thank Taj, check her with him, separate her to a quiet pen and set a time to call the vet
The vet advises treatment and she recovers well. Taj learns what a sick animal looks like. A small habit of noticing is what keeps a flock healthy.
I heard you are moving your cattle through the shared lane. I have a mob of my own coming through at the same time. We could mix them up and sort them out at the end, it would save a lot of time.
Agree, because it is efficient and you and Ellis are friends
The mobs mix, and sorting them takes the rest of the day. A few animals are stressed or injured. Friendly efficiency has cost you a day, and disease risk as well.
Suggest staggering the times, so the lane is used by one mob at a time, and offer to help Ellis with his move
Ellis agrees and goes through first. Both mobs move quietly and nothing mixes. Good neighbours coordinate. Ellis helps you with the fence next month.
Say no and tell Ellis to wait until your mob has gone, without discussing it
Your mob stays separate but Ellis loses half a day, and he is annoyed. A no works better when it comes with a way forward.
How it went
The cattle are on water, the ewe is recovering and the neighbours are on good terms. Livestock work is long hours outdoors, with careful observation and plenty of small decisions that add up. Does it sound like the kind of life where you would feel at home?
This is a simplified, fictional situation to help you explore. It is not professional instruction or a test of your ability.
Case study: The mob that would not go through the gate
A fictional case set in a fictional mixed sheep and cattle property on a dry country plain, with yards, paddocks and a shearing shed.
The situation
Marnie was senior stockperson at Coolibah Station, moving a mob of cattle to a paddock with better feed. Two new workers were helping. The cattle balked at the gateway, circled and began to push back into a corner of the yard. The station manager, Ross, was waiting at the other end and had already called twice about the timing.
What they did
Marnie stopped the workers from rushing the cattle. She sent one of them to stand well back, so the cattle had room to turn. She watched the animals for a few minutes, then noticed that a flapping bag on the fence was spooking them. She removed it and let the cattle settle before bringing them through slowly. She phoned Ross to explain the delay.
How it turned out
The mob went through quietly in half the time it would have taken to force them. Ross was relieved that nobody was hurt and no animals were stressed. Marnie used the example to teach the new workers that calm handling usually works better than pressure.
What would you do?
- How would you stay calm when the animals are agitated and others are rushing?
- Why might a small thing like a flapping bag matter so much?
- What would you enjoy about working outdoors with livestock every day?