Beef Cattle Farmer
What the work is
Plans, organises, controls, coordinates and performs farming operations to breed and raise beef cattle for meat and breeding stock.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Plans, organises and coordinates the breeding and raising of beef cattle for meat and breeding stock
- Organises feeding, watering, herding, breeding, calving and administration of vaccinations and medications for beef cattle
- Directs and oversees general beef cattle farming infrastructure, including the provision and maintenance of fences, sheds, pens and water supply systems
- Manages pasture and grazing systems for optimal cattle nutrition and growth
- Monitors and maintains the health, welfare and condition of beef cattle, including managing biosecurity strategies and other risks
- Organises the purchase, sale and transportation of beef cattle for meat and breeding purposes
- Maintains and evaluates records of beef cattle farming activities, monitors market activity, and plans production
- Manages beef cattle farm business capital, including budgeting, taxation, debt and loan management
- May select, train and supervise beef cattle farm workers and contractors
- May manage the operation of feedlots, including optimising feed efficiency and nutrition, waste management and sustainable land use
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a fictional beef cattle station in dry grazing country, in the middle of a long dry spell. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- Rain finally arrives and the paddocks turn green within days
- A mob of well-grown cattle goes through the yards calm and in good condition
- A young stockhand learns to read the herd the way you do
Hard days
- Months without rain and a decision about how many cattle the land can carry
- A broken bore pump in the heat, with thirsty cattle in the far paddock
- Market prices swing, and you must choose when to sell without knowing what comes next
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 152131, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.