Layer Support - February

Great opportunity for veterinarians interested in working in the U.S. on a TN Visa. Only citizens of Canada and Mexico are eligible for the TN Visa program.

Job Duties / Work skill Requirement

In this highly specialized position, candidate will be responsible for the overall care of the birds. This includes running bird feed systems, picking up and recording daily bird mortality, recording daily temperatures, feed and water usage for the birds, and assisting the Technician with gathering live birds and eggs. The Layer Support person will also be observing and recording characteristics relating to body weights, growth patterns, behavioral patterns, living system interactions, diets, cleaning and disinfecting protocols and vaccine program progress.

In addition, layer support will examine birds to detect symptoms of illness or injury and will be responsible for treating minor injuries and ailments as well as contacting company veterinarians to obtain treatment for birds with serious illnesses or injuries. Layer support will be trained to perform ongoing medical treatment of birds that need it, as necessary.

Layer support will also repair and maintain layer cage free systems. The Layer Support person will clean collectors and belts, operate, repair and clean manure systems and scrapers, monitor egg belts and elevators for egg jams, use air hoses to clean buildings, clean, sweep and perform other housekeeping requirements, flush water lines routinely, while following all OSHA safety regulations and procedures. While these particular tasks are not technical in nature, Layer support may be expected to help out with these necessary duties at times.

In this position, we want to emphasize the cross-functional aspect of the job. Not only will the Layer Support person in the cage free layer barn, but we also plan to cross-train them on the pullet stage, when the chicks are very young as well as the cage-free operations, where the layers are full-size but allowed to roam free in a barn instead of being kept in cages. Pullets are hens that range in age from 1 day old to approximately 19 weeks old. Pullets are just starting to Client eggs around 19 weeks and require a different level of care than the full-size hens.

The Layer Support person will properly operate the automated feeders and watering systems as well as accurately recording feed and water consumption amounts for the poultry on a daily basis since nutritional requirements for the feed depends on the weight and age of the poultry, their rate of growth and egg production, and even the weather conditions. Documentation and reporting will also be an essential part of the position along with the ability to recognize advanced avian health concerns. Documentation will assist the employee in improving the health of the birds as well as the output of eggs throughout the year. The Layer Support person will document barn temperatures, air quality, egg Client percentage, feed consumption, mortality and other daily activities which keep track of the health of the birds. Since the layer barns range from 80,000 to 160,000 birds, it is not possible to document individual birds, but the Layer Support person will assess health conditions and be responsible for the flock, along with reporting through various monitoring systems identifying and correcting key issues and metrics as they relate specifically to the flock.

The Layer Support person will use our facility's code of conduct and management techniques to ensure the fair and ethical treatment of the poultry at all times and will follow all procedures outlined by the United States Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, and all other Federal, State, and local government agencies. The Layer Support person maintains all bio-security measures in order to minimize the transfer of disease between poultry locations.

Animal husbandry skills, such as maintaining proper feed, water, climate, and living conditions within the building, are required for this position. Understanding the basic fundamentals of working with birds of varying ages, from pullets to the management of the older birds and how age affects production is an important part of this position. Awareness and knowledge of surroundings in relation to climate, atmosphere and equipment is also extremely important. The Layer Support person must have great attention to detail and good hand/eye/foot coordination. In addition, it is important for the Layer Support person to be able to work independently, but also be a good team player.

The elements of this position which are advanced in nature, such as the treating and medicating of the birds, can only be performed by an individual who has earned at least a bachelor's degree in Veterinary Medicine, Agricultural Engineering, Animal Breeding/Husbandry, Animal Science, or a closely related field. Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and their environment is important. This position does not require a license in the State of Michigan, the area of intended employment