Assistant Farmer

**Job Advert Summary**:
Rainbow Chicken has an exciting opportunity for two Assistant Farmers to work at their Rearing and Laying Farms in Carolina. This role requires someone who preferably has an Agricultural qualification and some background experience working in chicken breeder production.

**Minimum Requirements**:

- Grade 12 Relevant qualification in Agricultural diploma or degree would be an advantage.
- Code 10 driver’s license would be an advantage.
- Minimum of 3 years relevant poultry experience and a minimum of 3 years management experience with IR would be an advantage.
- Staff Supervisory and leadership experience.
- Ability to work shift work/ standby/overtime.
- Willing to live on site.
- Strong people management skills Attention to detail.
- Passion for animals.
- Proactive and good analytical skills.
- Willing to work a continuous operation.

**Duties and Responsibilities**:

- Assist in the monitoring of the day-to-day activities at the farm.
- To act as Farm Manager in the absence of Farm Manager. House Preparation prior to placement in order to create ideal conditions for bird production.
- Chick Placement - co -ordinate and monitor staff. Post placement of chicks (Brooding conditions) - Evaluation of chick quality, recording of vent temperatures, temperature setting.
- Growing conditions - Daily monitoring of the bird performance which entails feed intake, water recordings, temp and humidity recordings, mortality recordings.
- Ventilation management - Adjust ventilation static pressure to achieve minimum and maximum bird requirement. An operating MDWT environment.
- Water Management - Water sampling prior to placement, flushing of the water lines three times in a week, sanitation of house water reticulation, daily water pressure setting and nipple heights.
- Feed management - Receiving and Recording of feed deliveries relative to feed program; daily bin stock counts; management of feed heights; adjustment of feeder levels according to bird’s size; monitoring of feed quality (% of fine feed); sampling of feed when the truck arrives.
- Outsource activities - Preparation of the house environment prior to depletion. Biosecurity and Farm sanitation - Maintaining an effective biosecurity program by practicing good hygiene, vaccination and disease prevention. Bird Health - Daily monitoring and activity of birds, and sending of post mortems to the laboratory as per VCD
- Record Keeping - Keep the documentation files updated that is KFC, health and safety files; feed recording; house chart records; rodent control, mortality records. Staff management - Keep and update daily registers, MDWT’s, disciplinary records, training records; review meetings.