Description
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.
- • Bathe and groom animals.
- • Feed and water animals, and clean and disinfect pens, cages, yards, and hutches.
- • Examine animals to detect symptoms of illness or injury.
- • Place vaccines in drinking water, inject vaccines, or dust air with vaccine powder to protect animals from diseases.
- • Select animals to be bred, and semen specimens to be used, according to knowledge of animals, genealogies, traits, and desired offspring characteristics.
- • Treat minor injuries and ailments and contact veterinarians to obtain treatment for animals with serious illnesses or injuries.
- • Observe animals in heat to detect approach of estrus and exercise animals to induce or hasten estrus, if necessary.
- • Record animal characteristics such as weights, growth patterns, and diets.
- • Exhibit animals at shows.
- • Build hutches, pens, and fenced yards.
- • Clip or shear hair on animals.
- • Package and label semen to be used for artificial insemination, recording information such as the date, source, quality, and concentration.
- • Maintain logs of semen specimens used and animals bred.
- • Arrange for sale of animals and eggs to hospitals, research centers, pet shops, and food processing plants.
- • Measure specified amounts of semen into calibrated syringes, and insert syringes into inseminating guns.
- • Inject prepared animal semen into female animals for breeding purposes, by inserting nozzle of syringe into vagina and depressing syringe plunger.
- • Adjust controls to maintain specific building temperatures required for animals' health and safety.
- • Examine semen microscopically to assess and record density and motility of gametes, and dilute semen with prescribed diluents, according to formulas.
- • Brand, tattoo, or tag animals to allow animal identification.
- • Purchase and stock supplies of feed and medicines.
- • Exercise animals to keep them in healthy condition.
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Agriculture
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
