Farm Associate I OK

Aviagen•Sallisaw, OK

8d•Onsite

About The Position

The Farm Associate I supports farm operations within Aviagen’s poultry farms, with primary responsibility for the care and welfare of birds. The role involves gathering, grading, recording, handling, and washing eggs; maintaining sanitary conditions; monitoring poultry house conditions and flock health; and supporting feeding, cleaning, pen-building, bird-moving, and weighing activities. Work may also include hatchery duties involving day-old chicks and eggs, as well as poultry processing tasks such as live hanging and cutting or deboning poultry for data collection. The employee must follow animal care, animal welfare, biosecurity, and safety procedures, and may work around live animals, chemicals, dust, odors, noise, and extreme temperatures. The position may require working up to six days per week, including weekends and holidays.

Requirements

Understand oral and written instructions and perform simple tasks; have basic reading, writing, and arithmetic skills.
Perform repetitive work.
Stand for long periods, including eight hours or more, and maintain a flexible work schedule.
Grip, grasp, or twist using the hands and wrists.
Lift, carry, push, or pull up to 50 pounds or more.
Bend and stoop repeatedly throughout the shift.
Perform manual tasks in extreme hot or cold temperatures and work in dry, dusty, damp, or wet environments with live poultry, substantial dust, farm-related odors, and loud or noisy conditions.
Be able to routinely handle and interact with live poultry.

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 from the barn to the egg cooler; record egg counts; and assist with egg washing and sanitation in the wash and cooler rooms.
Maintain and record eggs or gather other data as instructed.
Monitor and troubleshoot poultry-house conditions and equipment, including 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 feed in 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, including live hanging and using cutting instruments to debone or cut poultry for data collection, as trained.
Work with detergents, disinfectants, and other chemicals as required.
Perform essential duties safely and efficiently as trained and follow Animal Care Standards, Animal Welfare Guidelines, and biosecurity policies and procedures.