Profession shepherd
Shepherds manage the welfare and movement of livestock, especially sheep, goats and other grazing animals, in a variety of surroundings.
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Personality Type
- Enterprising / Realistic
- Realistic / Investigative
Skills
- Assist animal birth
Assist in animal births, and care for newborn livestock.
- Milk animals
Milk cows and other farm animals, manually or using mechanical means.
- Examine animals
Examine animals for injury, illness, or disease. Check up on physical characteristics, such as rate of weight gain.
- Work independently in agriculture
Perform tasks individually in livestock and animal production services by taking decisions without help. Handle tasks and tackle with issues or problems without any outside assistance.
- Ensure flock safety
Protect the flock from wolves and other predators. Keep them from eating harmful plants.
- Care for the flock
A shepherd needs a gentle touch and warm demeanour to make the sheep comfortable and receptive to her care.
- Move animals
Move grazing animals between pastures to ensure that they have enough fresh grass to eat.
- Provide flock medical treatment
Treat livestock medically, administering medications and vaccinations. Arrange for veterinarians to provide more extensive treatment as required. Spray livestock with disinfectants and insecticides.
- Move the herd
Move the animals safely to another location. Lead them to grazing locations, managing their journey and accommodation needs.
- Maintain pastures
Ensure that animals on pastures or grazing lands have enough feed. Employ pasture-conservation measures such as grazing in rotation.
- Organise shearing
Set up a woolshed for the shearing of sheep. Work with the shearers to reach standards described in the farm policy manual.
- Provide nutrition to animals
Provide food and water to animals. This includes preparing food and water for animals and reporting any changes in the animal feeding or drinking habits.'