Animal Breeders

Also called: Animal Breeder, Animal Husbandman, Animal Husbandry Technician, Animal Technician, Artificial Insemination Technician (AI Technician)

Animal Breeders

Varies

estimated salary

Animal breeders select and breed animals according to their genealogy, characteristics, and offspring. May require knowledge of artificial insemination techniques and equipment use. May involve keeping records on heats, birth intervals, or pedigree.

  • Feed and water animals, and clean and disinfect pens, cages, yards, and hutches.
  • Observe animals in heat to detect approach of estrus and exercise animals to induce or hasten estrus, if necessary.
  • Treat minor injuries and ailments and contact veterinarians to obtain treatment for animals with serious illnesses or injuries.
  • Purchase and stock supplies of feed and medicines.
  • Select animals to be bred, and semen specimens to be used, according to knowledge of animals, genealogies, traits, and desired offspring characteristics.
  • Examine animals to detect symptoms of illness or injury.
  • Build hutches, pens, and fenced yards.
  • Record animal characteristics such as weights, growth patterns, and diets.
  • Brand, tattoo, or tag animals to allow animal identification.
  • Arrange for sale of animals and eggs to hospitals, research centers, pet shops, and food processing plants.
  • Place vaccines in drinking water, inject vaccines, or dust air with vaccine powder to protect animals from diseases.
  • Bathe and groom animals.
  • Exercise animals to keep them in healthy condition.
  • Adjust controls to maintain specific building temperatures required for animals' health and safety.
  • Maintain logs of semen specimens used and animals bred.
  • Inject prepared animal semen into female animals for breeding purposes, by inserting nozzle of syringe into vagina and depressing syringe plunger.
  • Prepare containers of semen for freezing and storage or shipment, placing them in dry ice or liquid nitrogen.
  • Clip or shear hair on animals.
  • Attach rubber collecting sheaths to genitals of tethered bull and stimulate animal's organ to induce ejaculation.
  • Package and label semen to be used for artificial insemination, recording information such as the date, source, quality, and concentration.
  • Exhibit animals at shows.
  • Measure specified amounts of semen into calibrated syringes, and insert syringes into inseminating guns.
  • Perform procedures such as animal dehorning or castration.
  • Examine semen microscopically to assess and record density and motility of gametes, and dilute semen with prescribed diluents, according to formulas.
Work Context

Work Context information for this career will be available soon.

Work Activities
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Performing General Physical Activities — Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
  • Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Handling and Moving Objects — Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
  • Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
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Detailed Work Activities
  • Purchase products or services.
  • Order medical supplies or equipment.
  • Care for animals.
  • Provide care for animals.
  • Monitor animal behavior or condition.
  • Provide care for animals.
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Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Administration and Management
  • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
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Skills

Critical Thinking
  • Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Active Listening
  • Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking
  • Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Science
  • Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
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Abilities

Near Vision
  • The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Problem Sensitivity
  • The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Deductive Reasoning
  • The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Category Flexibility
  • The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
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Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Achievement/Effort
  • Persistence
  • Initiative
  • Leadership
  • Cooperation
  • Concern for Others
  • Social Orientation
  • Self Control
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Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Document management software
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat Hot Technology
Word processing software
  • Microsoft Word Hot Technology
Operating system software
  • Microsoft Windows Hot Technology
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