Sow Farm Manager

General Duties: To coordinate and oversee the day to day operations of the farrowing unit and its personnel.

Specific Duties: Perform jobs as assigned by the owner or General Manager. These may include but are not limited to:

• Training, instructing, and supervising barn workers

• Hire, evaluate, discipline and terminate employees in partnership with Supervisor/HR

• Monitor work conditions for employee safety

• Promote a safe, professional and positive work environment

• Assisting with the day to day responsibilities of the employees

• Making sure that the farrowing employees carry out their responsibilities

• Performing duties in compliance with company bio-security and herd health policies, which include mandatory showering and changing into farm clothes prior to entering the farm, having no contact with other swine, and adhering to PIC “down time” requirements as noted in the Employee Handbook

• Monitoring the health condition of the herd

• Overseeing the feeding of sows to maintain proper condition and piglet birth weight

• Guaranteeing the servicing of weaned sows according to company procedures

• Monitoring future weaning and gilt orders to ensure proper numbers each week

• Seeing to it that drugs and supplies get ordered

• Ensuring the daily recording of sow records by employees

• Communicating sow record information to the business office as appropriate

• Making sure that animals are being handled with care and respect

• Keeping sows in farrowing order

• Monitoring feed, water, and ventilation systems to assure they are working properly and maintaining proper environments for livestock and personnel

• Keeping abreast of new innovations in the swine industry

• Seeing that paperwork is submitted in a timely manner

• Making sure that the items on the monthly checklist are being performed

• Synchronizing the movement of sows to and from farrowing

• Weaning and moving piglets according to size, gender, and established unit procedures

• Seeing to it that the entire gestation is washed twice per year

• Performing and/or monitoring the general/routine maintenance and repair on buildings, equipment, and grounds

• Overseeing and periodically caring for isolation animals

• May operate computer, preg-checker, irrigation equipment, lagoon pumps, farm tractors, pickup and trailer, a power generator, weed eater, and lawnmower.

Required Knowledge and Skills: Demonstrate interest and ability to work closely with animals and people, follow directions, think and work independently, and make sound decisions based on the information available. Computer skills are helpful.

Physical Requirements: ability to stand and walk on concrete floors for 9 hours per day, ability to repeatedly lift live10-15 lb. piglets, ability to assist in moving dead animals that might weigh upwards of 500 lbs, ability to push heavy feed carts 600 feet, ability to handle (move by pushing or herding) adult pigs weighing over 500lbs, ability to kneel and bend at the waist for long periods of time, ability to withstand repetitive hand motion when using feed scoops and processing litters, ability to tolerate dust, animal dander, odors, and noise (particle masks and ear protection are provided), ability to operate high pressure power washing equipment for up to 8 hours a day, ability to climb up and balance on 16 feet high feed bins, ability to stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, reach, hold, and bend over to catch piglets.

Working Conditions: The working environment is primarily indoors with moderate temperatures. Rooms or buildings can be noisy, odiferous, and dusty. Powerful adult animals can cause injury, especially if handled improperly.