Sheep Farmer

Sheep farmers are responsible for the daily care and maintenance of sheep that are used for meat or wool production.

Duties

The duties of a sheep farmer may include feeding, shearing wool, giving medication orally or via injection, maintaining farm buildings and fences, monitoring the flock for any signs of illness or disease, assisting with difficult births, and managing waste. They also may be responsible for marketing their animals to meat or wool distributors, transporting animals to the sales or show ring, harvesting hay or other forages, and maintaining farm equipment.

Sheep farmers work in with large animal veterinarians to maintain the health of their flock through a health management program. They may also rely on advice from animal nutritionists or livestock feed sales representatives to develop nutritionally balanced rations for the flock.

As is the case with many farming occupations, sheep farmers may have to work long hours including time on nights, evenings, and weekends. The work is largely conducted outdoors, so extreme temperatures and varying weather conditions are possible. It is also important that sheep farmers take safety precautions when working with their livestock to reduce the chance of injury.

Career Options

Sheep farmers may be involved in meat or wool production. There are two primary sheep farming options for meat production: stock sheep operations (which raise flocks on pasture land and sell their lambs to feeder lots) or feeder lamb operations (which purchase lambs and raise them to appropriate weight for slaughter). Sheep leather has also grown in popularity and is proving to be a solid source of income.

Wool receipts are accountable for only a quarter of total revenue.

Flocks may range from just a few animals to many thousands of animals, but the trend in the industry is towards consolidation of smaller operations into larger entities. According to data collected by the USDA, the largest sheep producing states are Texas and California, with the majority of U.S. sheep farms concentrated in the Pacific, Southern Plains, and Mountain regions.

Many sheep farmers oversee their flock part time and have a full time position in another industry, but it is possible for larger farms to be self sustaining.

Education & Training

Most sheep farmers have a high school diploma at minimum, though an increasing number have earned college degrees in animal science, agriculture, or a related field. Coursework for these degrees often includes studies in animal science, sheep production, meat science, reproduction, genetics, anatomy, physiology, nutrition and ration formulation, farm management, agricultural marketing, technology, and business management.

Many future sheep farmers get their start by participating in youth programs such as Future Farmers of America (FFA) or 4-H clubs. These organizations allow children to handle a variety of farm animals and to participate in livestock shows. Other aspiring sheep farmers gain hand on experience through their family farm.

Sheep farmers may find additional educational and networking opportunities through membership in professional organizations such as the American Sheep Industry Association (ASIA), various breed specific organizations, and the many sheep associations affiliated with states or countries throughout the world.

Salary

A recent Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) salary survey indicated that farm and ranch managers earned a median wage of $60,750 annually ($29.21 hourly) in May of 2010. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $29,280 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $106,980. Income for farmers can vary widely based fluctuating feed costs, varying weather conditions, and the price of meat or wool at market.

A recent survey by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (USDA/ERS) estimated that there would be a marginal (3.8 percent) decline in sheep and lamb sales for 2012, which could have some impact on sheep farmer income.

Career Outlook

The BLS predicts that there will be a slight decline in the number of job opportunities for farm and ranch managers (approximately 8 percent). This trend is in line with the move towards consolidation in the industry, as small producers are commonly being bought up by large commercial operations.

The sheep production industry has remained stable despite current economic conditions, as consumption levels for its meat products have held steady. Other red meat products have shown a decline in recent years. Lamb prices reached a record high in late 2010.

Wool products also reached a record high in 2011, with the price per pound coming in at a healthy $1.67, accounting for $48.9 million in revenue for 2011 as opposed to the $35 million in revenue for the prior year.

Animal Production Careers

There are several careers involving animal breeding and production. Some career paths involve direct care and management of production animals, while other positions provide educational or veterinary support to those direct care providers.

LIVESTOCK Beef Cattle Farmer

Beef farmers raise many species of beef cattle as a part of the meat production industry. There are two major types of beef cattle producers: cow-calf or feedlot operations.

Cow-calf operations breed their own calves and raise them to weaning age, where they are sold to feedlots. Feedlot operations purchase weaned calves and raise them to market weight.

Dairy Farmer

 Dairy farmers manage cattle used for milk production. Many operations also raise their own replacement heifers to add to the herd. Dairy farms may be smaller family farms (which are frequently part of cooperatives) or larger corporate production farms. Dairy farmers seek to increase the milk production yield of their herd through careful management and selective breeding.

Egg Farmer

 Egg farmers care for laying hens used in the egg production industry. They may raise their own replacement stock and cull older hens to sell to meat producers. Operations can be large commercial entities or smaller family farms, and these facilities can either be cage-based or “free range.”

Poultry Farmer

 Poultry farmers raise chickens, turkeys, or other birds for meat production. The most popular area of poultry production is broiler production (broilers are young chickens raised for meat).

Farms can range from large indoor commercial operations to smaller “free range” or organic broiler production facilities.

Aquaculture Farmer

 Aquaculture farmers raise fish and shellfish for use as food, bait, or breeding stock. Roles within this career path may include site manager, production manager, water quality technician, and aquaculture technician. The aquaculture industry is one of the fastest growing animal production career paths.

Horse Breeder

 Horse breeders produce many types of horses for use in sport and recreation. Breeders often focus on one particular breed and niche market (such as Thoroughbred racing). Breeding industry roles may also include management positions such as stallion manager or broodmare manager.

Pig Farmer

 Pig farmers raise swine as a part of the pork production industry. They may be involved in farrow-to-finish operations (raising pigs from birth to market weight), feeder pig operations (raising piglets from birth to less than 60 pounds), and finisher operations (which raise piglets obtained from feeder pig operations and raise them to market weight).

PETS Dog Breeder

 Dog breeders produce purebred dogs for show, sport, breeding, or companionship. Most breeders specialize by producing one type of dog and have advanced knowledge of the pedigrees and conformational standards of that breed. Many breeders also send their dogs to shows or other performance competitions.

Exotic Bird Breeder

 Exotic bird breeders breed and sell pet birds such as parrots and finches. Most bird breeders focus on one or two types of birds. Breeders may also enter their birds in shows to be judged against other top representatives of their breed.

Reptile Breeder

 Reptile breeders raise and sell species such as turtles, snakes, and lizards to the commercial or pet reptile markets. Breeders usually specialize in producing just a few species for a specific market, and they usually have advanced knowledge of the species they produce.

RELATED ROLES Animal Geneticist

 Animal geneticists study genes and heritability of traits in animal populations. Geneticists may be involved in research, selective breeding programs, studying population genetics, and more. Many work directly with producers of livestock species, such as cattle and poultry.