What does a herdsman do?
Herdsman responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real herdsman resumes:
- Lead farm tours and help organize CSA member events.
- Feed, water, injecting antibiotics.
- Implement GPS and data analysis for more precision planting and spraying measures.
- Train and supervise milking personnel.
- Administer antibiotics and other vaccines.
- Prepare harvest products for transportation, balancing efficient module volume with acceptable quality standards for pick-up
- Develop and execute nutrient management plan.
Herdsman skills and personality traits
We calculated that 27% of Herdsmen are proficient in Milking, Dairy Farm, and Dairy Cattle. They’re also known for soft skills such as Listening skills, Dexterity, and Mechanical skills.
We break down the percentage of Herdsmen that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Milking, 27%
Trained and supervised milking personnel.
- Dairy Farm, 15%
Assisted the owner in the successful operation of a 250 head dairy farm.
- Dairy Cattle, 12%
Observed dairy cattle for any signs of sickness or disorders.
- Pigs, 5%
Assisted farrowing sows through birth, sorted pigs by size and by the amount of pigs she could nurse.
- Farm Equipment, 5%
Drive cattle, Run mill, Guide hunts, Run farm equipment, Repair and maintain vehicles and equipment.
- USDA, 4%
Manage 45 of Gerber's farms to ensure growers comply with Gerber and USDA standards.
Most herdsmen use their skills in "milking," "dairy farm," and "dairy cattle" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential herdsman responsibilities here:
Listening skills. The most essential soft skill for a herdsman to carry out their responsibilities is listening skills. This skill is important for the role because "agricultural workers must listen carefully to ensure that they understand instructions from farmers and other agricultural managers and supervisors." Additionally, a herdsman resume shows how their duties depend on listening skills: "milk cows and feed calves maintain clean pens and milking parlor listen to directions from"
Dexterity. Many herdsman duties rely on dexterity. "agricultural workers need excellent hand-eye coordination to harvest crops and operate farm machinery.," so a herdsman will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways herdsman responsibilities rely on dexterity: "take part in harvesting operations using tractors, harvesters, forklifts and hand tools. "
Mechanical skills. This is an important skill for herdsmen to perform their duties. For an example of how herdsman responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "agricultural workers must be able to operate complex farm machinery." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a herdsman: "assist delivery and pull calf by hand or mechanical means if necessary. ".
The three companies that hire the most herdsmans are:
- Cargill4 herdsmen jobs
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Compare different herdsmen
Herdsman vs. Cowboy
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between herdsmen and cowboy. For instance, herdsman responsibilities require skills such as "milking," "dairy farm," "animal handling," and "dairy cattle." Whereas a cowboy is skilled in "customer service," "food preparation," "cdl," and "manage inventory." This is part of what separates the two careers.
The education levels that cowboys earn slightly differ from herdsmen. In particular, cowboys are 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a herdsman. Additionally, they're 1.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Herdsman vs. Field worker
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, herdsman responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "milking," "dairy farm," "animal handling," and "dairy cattle." Meanwhile, a field worker has duties that require skills in areas such as "home health," "safety procedures," "safety regulations," and "cdl." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Field workers earn a lower average salary than herdsmen. But field workers earn the highest pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $27,960. Additionally, herdsmen earn the highest salaries in the professional with average pay of $36,206 annually.field workers earn similar levels of education than herdsmen in general. They're 2.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Herdsman vs. Dairy farmer
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, herdsmen are more likely to have skills like "animal handling," "pigs," "usda," and "iv." But a dairy farmer is more likely to have skills like "milk cows," "calf," "bobcat," and "repair equipment."
Dairy farmers make a very good living in the manufacturing industry with an average annual salary of $32,387. On the other hand, herdsmen are paid the highest salary in the professional industry, with average annual pay of $36,206.dairy farmers typically earn similar educational levels compared to herdsmen. Specifically, they're 2.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.7% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Herdsman vs. Dairy worker
Types of herdsman
Updated January 8, 2025
