Farm Associate I

Aviagen•Pleasant Hope, MO

About The Position

The Farm Associate I supports farm operations across Aviagen’s poultry farms and is primarily responsible for the care and welfare of birds at the facility. The role includes gathering, grading, recording, washing, and transferring eggs; maintaining poultry-house conditions and equipment; monitoring flock health and mortality; cleaning houses and rebuilding pens; and managing feed and bird handling. Duties may also involve working with day-old chicks in a hatchery, disinfecting facilities, and working in a poultry processing plant to handle or cut poultry for data collection. The associate must follow animal-care, animal-welfare, biosecurity, and safety policies and procedures. The position involves repetitive manual work in hot or cold temperatures and in dry, dusty, damp, or wet environments. Employees may encounter live animals, farm odors, and loud noise, and must be able to stand for extended periods and handle loads of up to 50 pounds or more. The schedule may include up to six days per week, including weekends and holidays, and requires flexibility.

Requirements

Ability to understand oral and written instructions and perform simple tasks.
Basic reading, writing, and arithmetic skills.
Ability to perform repetitive work.
Ability to stand for eight or more hours and maintain a flexible work schedule.
Ability to grip, grasp, or twist with the hands and wrists.
Ability to lift, carry, push, or pull up to 50 pounds or more.
Ability to bend and stoop repetitively throughout the shift.
Ability to perform manual tasks in extreme hot or cold temperatures and work in dry, dusty, damp, or wet environments.
Ability to work with live animals and poultry, and tolerate farm-related smells, foul odors, substantial dust circulation, and loud or noisy environments.
Must be authorized to work in the country of the specified job location at hire and maintain work authorization throughout employment.

Nice To Haves

Animal husbandry experience is preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

Gather eggs while preventing excessive breakage; grade eggs by category, size, and condition; transfer egg flats to the cooler; record egg counts; and assist with egg washing and sanitation.
Maintain and record eggs and collect other data as instructed.
Monitor poultry-house conditions and troubleshoot feed lines, drinkers, fans, and barn appearance.
Monitor and document flock health and mortality.
Clean out houses and rebuild bird pens as needed.
Transfer feed weighing up to 50 pounds, maintain feeders according to trial requirements, and ensure birds can access feed.
Collect birds for moving or weighing.
Work with day-old chicks in the hatchery; duties may include setting, collecting, and transferring eggs and disinfecting the facility.
Perform poultry-processing tasks, which may include live hanging and using cutting instruments to debone or cut poultry for data collection.
Work with chemicals such as detergents and disinfectants.
Perform essential duties safely and efficiently as trained and follow animal-care standards, animal-welfare guidelines, and biosecurity policies and procedures.