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Poultry Field Service Technician. Agricultural Careers By: Dr. Frank Flanders and Asha Wise Georgia Agricultural Education Curriculum Office Georgia Department of Education March 2006. Duties & Responsibilities.
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Poultry Field Service Technician Agricultural Careers By: Dr. Frank Flanders and Asha Wise Georgia Agricultural Education Curriculum Office Georgia Department of Education March 2006
Duties & Responsibilities • Check equipment, such as auto-feeders and the ventilation system, to make sure it is working properly • Keep records on farms they inspect • Inspect facilities for sanitation and efficiency • Conduct tests on diseased or dead chickens • Report needed changes to the farmer
Qualities and Skills • Poultry field service technicians should be hardworking and self-motivated • They should be practical and responsible with good organizational and decision-making skills • Need to be able to handle animals with care and assurance, and they should have genuine concern for the health and welfare of the birds • Marketing and computer skills are also helpful and mechanical skills can come in handy for fixing farm machinery
Salary • Most poultry field service technicians are employed by a poultry processing company, with a starting salary around $27,000 • There are some who are self-employed, and the amount of money they make depends on the price of poultry and the needs of the farmer • Other poultry field technicians are employed by the USDA to help and maintain the poultry supply in the US and will receive a set monthly payment
Work Environment • Spend most of their time on their service route farms working outdoors and inside the chicken houses • There is local travel involved such as visiting service route farms and reporting to the local company office • Work irregular hours, as the birds may need attention at any time, and there may be evening, early morning, weekend and holiday work
Education • A bachelor’s degree in poultry science or a related agricultural discipline is not required, but is preferred for this position • Training for this career is necessary and can be received in college or vocational schools; however, some math and English skills are important • Courses in agriculture, particularly in the animal science and/or poultry science areas, are useful
Career Resources American Egg Board 1460 Renaissance Drive Park Ridge, Illinois 60068Internet: http://www.aeb.org/ U.S. Poultry and Egg Association 1530 Cooledge Road Tucker, GA 30084 Internet: http://www.poultryegg.org/ Poultry Science Association Internet: http://www.poultryscience.org/ National Chicken CouncilInternet: http://www.nationalchickencouncil.com/ American Association of Avian Pathologists Internet: http://www.aaap.info/