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  6. Livestock Labourers

Exploring Trades and Occupations

Livestock Labourers

On this page

  • Job description
  • Advancement and mobility
  • Hourly wage
  • Job prospects for 2024-2028
  • Sectors of activity
  • Training and requirements
  • Main skills and characteristics
  • Personality profiles (RIASEC)
  • Additional information

Job description

These individuals raise livestock and poultry. They are employed on farms and livestock operations.

Environment

  • Controlled ambient temperature
  • Climatic conditions
  • Equipment, machinery, tools
  • Vehicle or passenger compartment
  • Hazardous chemical
  • Biological agents
  • Odours
  • Nontoxic dust
  • Humidity
  • Uncontrolled ambient temperature
  • Hazardous workplaces
  • Noise
  • Falling objects
  • Vibration

Main tasks

  • Feed and care for animals.
  • Care for animals and perform tasks related to herd management.
  • Detect diseases and problems affecting crops and animals.
  • Control the quality of the products and prepare them for sale.
  • Clean stables, barns, farmyards, and pens.
  • Carry out the milking of animals.

Advancement and mobility

  • Experience leads to supervisory positions.

Hourly wage

The hourly wage is calculated by averaging wages from 2022 to 2024.
Minimum
$16.10
Median
$18.00
Maximum
$28.00

Job prospects for 2024-2028

Les 2 champs de sélection ci-dessous vous permettent de comparer 2 régions. Les données des régions seront automatiquement mises à jour à la sélection. Par défaut, la province de Québec est sélectionnée pour la première région.

Job prospects for 2024-2028

Job prospects

All of Québec

Non available
Limited
Good
Very good
Very good

All of Québec

Non available
Limited
Good
Very good
Non available

Total jobs for 2023

All of Québec

5,000

All of Québec

na

Gender distribution

All of Québec

Not available.
32.6% Female
67.4% Male

Not available.
  • 32.6% Female
  • 67.4% Male

Job types

All of Québec

Not available.
Full time
Part time

Not available.
  • Full time
  • Part time

Yearly wage on 2020

All of Québec

$31,000

All of Québec

Other characteristics

All of Québec

  • Non traditional for women
  • None

All of Québec

  • Non traditional for women
  • None

Sectors of activity

All of Québec

Not available.
  1. Agriculture and Fishing
    NAICS 111, 112, 114, 1151, 1152
    88% of jobs
  2. Food, Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing
    NAICS 311, 312
    3% of jobs
  3. Business, building and other support services
    NAICS 55, 56
    2% of jobs
  4. Wholesale Trade
    NAICS 41
    1% of jobs
  5. Health Care
    NAICS 621, 622, 623
    1% of jobs
  6. Others
    5% of jobs

All of Québec

Not available.
  1. Agriculture and Fishing
    NAICS 111, 112, 114, 1151, 1152
    88% of jobs
  2. Food, Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing
    NAICS 311, 312
    3% of jobs
  3. Business, building and other support services
    NAICS 55, 56
    2% of jobs
  4. Wholesale Trade
    NAICS 41
    1% of jobs
  5. Health Care
    NAICS 621, 622, 623
    1% of jobs
  6. Others
    5% of jobs

Training and requirements

Formation

Most training programs are offered in French only.

Secondary

DVS in production animale
Code : 5354

Placement rate: 74.4%

21.2% of graduates pursue further studies

More on graduates’ employment situation

Sometimes required

  • Basic knowledge of agriculture, usually acquired by working on a family farm, may be required.

WAP

This occupation is targeted by Workplace Apprenticeship Programs

  • Farm machinery operator
  • Poultry worker
  • Dairy farm worker
  • Pork production technician 

Main skills and characteristics

Skills

  • Equipment maintenance
  • Social perception
  • Operations and control
  • Monitoring operations
  • Coordination
  • Active listening
  • Oral expression
  • Critical thought
More Less skills

Abilities

  • Manual dexterity
  • Control accuracy
  • Endurance
  • Limb coordination
  • Speed control
  • Speech recognition
  • Speech clarity
  • Information organization
  • Awareness of issues
  • Hand-arm stability
More Less abilities

Knowledge and attributes

  • Autonomy
  • Capacity to work in a team
  • Versatility
  • Assiduity and punctuality
  • Commitment to quality
  • Tolerance to frequent temperature variations
  • Knowledge of plant and animal production
  • Learning speed
  • Tolerance to routine work
  • Timeliness

Interests

  • Make, build, install
  • Work manually
  • Develop and exploit natural resources
  • Work in contact with nature and animals
  • Collect, verify, sort, and classify data or information
  • Exercer une activité sportive ou physique
  • Work outdoors

Personality profiles (RIASEC)

Realistic
People with this profile prefer carrying out concrete tasks and being physically involved in what they do.
Investigative
People with this profile prefer relying on theoretical knowledge before acting. They like observation, analysis and problem solving.
Conventional
People with this profile prefer specific, well-defined tasks. They like to respect the order of things and follow established rules.
Additional information

Official name of the NOC 85100

Livestock labourers

Job titles

  • Pig Production Workers
  • Dairy Workers
  • Milk production labourer
  • Farm labourer - livestock
  • Livestock labourer
  • Cattle ranch labourer
  • Ranch hand
  • Stable assistant
  • Hatchery helper - poultry
  • Feedlot assistant
  • Dairy hand
  • Cowboy/cowgirl
  • Egg packer - farm
  • Cattle ranch worker
  • Fur ranch labourer
  • Dairy farm labourer
  • Poultry farm labourer
  • Egg candler
  • Poultry yard cleaner
  • General farm worker - livestock
  • Apiary worker
  • Fur farming worker
  • Egg grading machine tender
  • Egg processing machine tender
  • Farm hand - livestock
  • Stable hand
  • Barn worker
  • Dairy farm worker
  • Hatchery worker - poultry
  • Ranch worker
  • Fur farm worker
  • Beef cattle farm worker
  • Hog farm worker
  • Poultry farm worker
  • Feedlot worker
  • Lamb feedlot worker
  • Sheep feedlot worker
  • Herd hand
  • Livestock weigher
  • Incubator tender - livestock
  • Milking machine tender
  • Egg grader
  • Stockyard attendant
  • Egg grading station labourer
  • Egg collector
  • Feedlot herd attendant
  • Chicken catcher
  • Sheep shearer
  • Pheasant farm worker
  • Organic farm worker - livestock
More Less job titles

Skill type

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

Related occupations

  • Agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors
  • Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians
  • Harvesting labourers
  • Managers in agriculture
  • Nursery and greenhouse labourers

See also

  • Glossary (PDF 229 Kb)
  • Québec emploi

See also

Non traditional

Hats Off to You!

Last update: January 29, 2026

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