Pig Farmer
What the work is
Plans, organises, controls, coordinates and performs farming operations to breed and raise pigs 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 and coordinates the breeding and raising of pigs for meat and breeding stock
- Organises pig farming operations and routines, such as feeding, watering, and administration of vaccines and medications
- Selects and purchases breeding stock, and manages pig breeding programs
- Monitors and maintains the health, welfare and condition of pigs, including by developing and overseeing strategies to manage biosecurity and other risks
- Directs and oversees general pig farming activities, including the provision and maintenance of infrastructure such as pens, sheds and water supply systems
- Organises the sale, purchase and transportation of pigs for meat and breeding purposes
- Maintains and evaluates records of pig farming activities, monitors market activity, and plans production accordingly
- Manages pig farm business capital, including budgeting, taxation, debt and loan management
- May select, train and supervise pig farm staff and contactors
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a fictional commercial beekeeping business moving hives between orchards and bushland at night. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- You lift a lid at dawn and the hive is calm, full of honey and buzzing
- An almond grower thanks you after a heavy crop that your bees pollinated
- A honey harvest day where the smell in the shed is unbelievable
Hard days
- Moving hives in the dark, in the cold, then waking at dawn to do it again
- A dry season with little flowering and hives that are hungry
- Stings through the veil on a hot day, with a long drive still ahead
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 152934, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.