Seasonal Job Opportunity

We annually hire one to two seasonal shepherds from March to November.

We are now accepting applications for the 2013 season. Please send your CV/resume to our email

If applicants are from overseas, and between 18 & 35, they may be able to qualify for the Working Holiday Program.

If applicants are current students from overseas, they may be able to quality for the SWAP Working Holiday.

Single accommodation can be provided and applicant must have a clean driving record.

Job Description

You will assist in the day to day operation of the sheep flock along with other seasonal farm tasks.

Working Conditions
Predominately out doors in all kinds of weather.  This is a family operation of husband and wife currently with one full-time and one part-time employee.  The farm land base is split into 5 different land parcels.  The work can be physically challenging.  This is a growing and changing farm operation where there is a requirement for team members to practice continual learning and the ability to adapt to change is important. Your input will be valued in the decision making process.

1.  Seasonal grazing management using intensive rotational grazing systems. Comprehension of pasture feed budgeting.  Moving sheep to new pastures on a regular basis, and supplementary feeding if necessary with ATV and snacka feeder. Maintain pasture water supply system through regular repairs.

2.  Day to day monitoring of the health of the animals. Ability to recognize common ailments (lameness, mastitis, listeriosis, pregnancy toxemia, acidosis, urinary calculi, caseous lymphadenitis, cocciddiosis, internal parasites, cervical and uterine prolapses) and provide appropriate course of treatment.  Monitor the body condition of the ewe flock, using standard body condition scoring, to achieve optimum body condition prior to mating and lambing. During lambing season, identify common birthing miss-presentations and be able to independently assist in the successful delivery. Recognize starvation and hypothermia in young lambs, and be able to provide supplementation via an esophageal feeding tube and /or inter-peritoneal glucose injection. Be able to perform a number of fostering techniques for new-born lambs.  Deliver preventative and therapeutic medication by injection, oral drench or in prescription feed. Be responsible for accurate calibration of delivery equipment and correct dosage for appropriate class of animal.

3.  Equipment Operation  Proficient ATV operator.  Suitable skill level with loader tractor to remove manure from barns, move round bales, fill feed wagon, pack feed in silage storage bunks and clear snow. Other general tractor duties to include pulling of wagons, mowing and raking hay and manure and fertilizer spreading.  Basic maintenance of this equipment is required.  General building repairs, cleaning and disinfecting, greenhouse barn assembly and routine changing of plastic covers.

4.  Predation Control Management  Timely deadstock removal and disposal.  Care, feeding and general health monitoring of Livestock Guardian Dogs.  Ability to construct permanent hi-tensile page-wire and electric fencing, move temporary electric fencing, plus fault find and maintenance on electric fence lines. 

5.  Flock Feeding  Competent to mix and deliver correct feed rations to animals in various stages of production, when in winter housing, using tractors and a variety of mechanical feeding equipment.  Responsible for routine maintenance of feeding equipment.

6.  Shearing - dependant on your skill level - shearing and crutching duties.

Job Competencies

Be able to interpret animal behavior. Move large and small groups of animals , with the assistance of a trained sheepdog (where appropriate), in a controlled manner, without undue stress to the animals.  Fill pens with sheep, sort and pack wool at shearing times.

Attention to detail.  Accurate record keeping of flock inventory, (births, deaths, disposals) along with mating, health and production details on a computerized system. Correctly identify lambs shortly after birth by tag or tattoo, and apply tailing bands.  This would apply only to the 200 ewe purebred Texel flock and the 600 elite composite ewes which are fully performance recorded.  Weighing of lambs at 50 and 100 days of age for performance recording.  Weighing and body conditioning of lambs for sale.

Seasonal Work Schedule

MARCH

Ultrasound pregnancy scanning
Every other day confinement feeding and bedding
Ewes outside are fed daily
Shear, vaccinate and worm ewes due to lamb in April
Ottawa Valley Farm Show (3 days)     

APRIL:          

Daily winter feeding routine of haylage & corn sileage - mechanized
Shearing - packing wool bags, filling pens, etc.
Erect new fencing if needed
Checking fences before May turnout to pasture
Predator Control
Lambing of purebred Texels
Field work - planting new pastures

MAY              

full month of barn lambing approx. 800 ewes and balance (1200) to be pasture lambed
Turnout ewes and lambs to pasture.
Rotational grazing (move groups of sheep every 3-4 days)
Daily checking of lactating ewes with ATV and dogs
Planting new pastures (no-till drill) - also small grains
Custom operators spread manure and plant corn (maize)

JUNE             

Rotational grazing - moving temporary electric fences
Pressure wash lamb feedlot barn
(2nd/3rd week)
Docking lambs, worming, tagging, vaccinating and 50 day weights
1st cut hay 5x4 rnd. (Mowing, raking and drawing)

JULY             

Rotational grazing - moving temporary electric fences.
2nd cut hay (or baleage) 4x4 round (mowing, raking and drawing)
Greenhouse maintenance
Plant turnips for autumn grazing
Weaning lambs
Shearing pasture lambing ewes

AUGUST       

Rotational grazing - moving temporary electric fences
Sort through weaned ewes for culls
Weigh lambs for 100 day weights and wean
Tattoo, vaccinate and worm replacement ewe lambs and purebred Texels

SEPTEMBER  

Small out of season lambing (2 weeks) if open ewes were bred in spring
Ewes and lambs confinement feeding with baleage
Booth at Outdoor Farm Show (3 days)
Harvest Corn (maize) silage (packing bunk) (2 days)
Rotational grazing for dry ewes
Clean manure out of greenhouses
Shear replacement ewe lambs

OCTOBER    

Custom operators spread manure
Pre-winter maintenance
Weighing, sorting and shipping of finished lambs
Drawing replacement ewe lambs

NOVEMBER

Wean, vaccinate and 50 day weigh lambs from Sept lambing
(2nd week) Sort ewes into mating groups                     
Start winter feeding for most of the flock, open bunk silos
Worm ewes
Pre-winter preparations - snow fence, construct winter feeding paddocks, draining water lines, maintenance and storage of equipment etc
Weighing, sorting and shipping of finished lambs

DECEMBER

Sort ewe flock into breeding groups
Put rams into respective breeding groups
Every other day confinement feeding and bedding
Snow clearing when necessary throughout winter
Salt and sand spreading when necessary throughout winter
Weighing, sorting and shipping of finished lambs       

JANUARY    

FEBRUARY  

Every other day confinement feeding and bedding
Predator control
Weighing, sorting and shipping of finished lambs

Throughout the year
Routine equipment maintenance and servicing
Routine electric fence maintenance
Able to work independently or with two other current staff members
Responsible for daily care of Livestock Guardian Dogs
Ability to train Border Collies would be an asset