Animal Breeders

Breed animals, including cattle, goats, horses, sheep, swine, poultry, dogs, cats, or pet birds. Select and breed animals according to their genealogy, characteristics, and offspring. May require a knowledge of artificial insemination techniques and equipment use. May involve keeping records on heats, birth intervals, or pedigree.

Job Task

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

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