Description
Plan, direct, and oversee daily operations of a livestock ranch, including herd management, grazing and range stewardship, feed and water systems, facilities, budgets, staffing, and compliance. Supervise breeding, calving, animal health, and marketing of livestock while ensuring safety, profitability, and sustainable land use.
- • Collect and record herd performance, pasture condition, and environmental data.
- • Develop and manage grazing plans, stocking rates, and pasture rotations.
- • Direct and monitor breeding, artificial insemination, and calving/lambing/kidding.
- • Coordinate vaccination, deworming, branding, and veterinary care.
- • Plan livestock movements between pastures, feedyards, leases, and markets.
- • Allocate resources and respond to drought, wildfire, predators, and disease outbreaks.
- • Formulate feed and supplement programs; manage hay and feed inventories.
- • Operate and maintain water and irrigation systems for pastures and stock tanks.
- • Prepare and submit required reports and permits (brand, animal health, grazing).
- • Inspect fences, corrals, barns, water points, vehicles, and equipment; schedule repairs.
- • Maintain financial, production, grazing, and employment records.
- • Coordinate purchasing, inventory, logistics, and marketing activities.
- • Direct the raising of cattle and other ranch stock using recognized husbandry practices.
- • Negotiate contracts and prices for the sale, transport, or backgrounding of livestock.
- • Select, develop, and cull breeding stock; manage bulls and replacement heifers.
- • Test soils and forage; plan fertilization, seeding, and pasture improvements.
- • Build relationships with veterinarians, buyers, auction barns, feedlots, and landowners.
- • Analyze markets to time sales and adjust herd size or production strategies.
- • Oversee construction and maintenance of ranch structures, fences, roads, and wells.
- • Implement integrated weed, pest, and predator management and regenerative practices.
- • Inspect herds and rangeland to detect illness, injury, invasive species, and resource issues.
- • Conduct or supervise pregnancy checks and health exams to identify disease or parasites.
- • Set herd composition and stocking plans based on budgets, forage, permits, and markets.
- • Establish and enforce policies for operations, maintenance, biosecurity, and safety.
- • Oversee forage production and harvesting, including mowing, raking, baling, and storage.
- • Evaluate and execute marketing strategies, such as direct sales, auctions, and forward contracts.
- • Monitor branding, processing, shipping, equipment use, and horsemanship for safety compliance.
- • Monitor weather, water availability, and habitat to support animal welfare and rangeland health.
- • Secure financing and purchase livestock, feed, equipment, supplies, or land.
- • Hire, train, schedule, and supervise ranch hands and seasonal crews.
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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
