84120 Specialized livestock workers and farm machinery operators

What this occupation covers

Specialized livestock workers carry out feeding, health and breeding programs on dairy, beef, sheep, poultry, swine and other livestock farms. Farm machinery operators operate and maintain farm machinery and equipment. They are employed on crop, livestock, fruit, vegetable and specialty farms.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 17 main duties for this code.

• Perform or assist in performing animal husbandry activities
• Implement pasture or pen breeding programs
• Develop and implement feeding programs
• Follow safety and bio-security procedures
• Detect and treat certain diseases and health problems in livestock
• Maintain livestock performance records
• Select livestock for sale
• Set and monitor water lines, air flow and temperature in barns, pens and chicken coops
• Train horses
• Maintain inventory and order materials as required
• May be responsible for the collection of semen and the insemination of donor females
• May supervise general farm labourers.
• Operate farm equipment and machinery to till soil, plant, cultivate and harvest crops, and load and unload crops or containers of materials
• Perform equipment and machinery maintenance
• Monitor equipment and machinery operations to detect malfunctions
• Follow safety procedures
• May perform minor repairs to farm equipment and machinery.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 3 of its 17 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 82030 Agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors
• 85101 Harvesting labourers
• 85100 Livestock labourers
• 80020 Managers in agriculture

Excluded from this code

• Agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors (See 82030 Agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors)
• Harvesting labourers (See 85101 Harvesting labourers)
• Livestock labourers (See 85100 Livestock labourers)
• Managers in agriculture (See 80020 Managers in agriculture)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

apiary technician · artificial inseminator · baler - agriculture · baling machine operator - farm · beef cattle herdsperson · beekeeping technician · binder operator - agriculture · cattle herdsperson · chick sexer · combine operator · cowhand · cropsprayer machine operator · cultivator operator · custom combine operator · custom harvest crewperson · custom harvester · dairy herdsperson · dressage and stunt horse trainer · farm equipment operator · farm machinery custom operator · farm machinery operator · farrowing technician · grain custom harvester · harvester machine operator

Employment requirements

• Specialized livestock workers may require a college certificate or other specialized training in agriculture or livestock husbandry.
• There are no specific education or training requirements for farm machinery operators. However, a college certificate or specialized courses related to farming, such as farm equipment mechanics, agricultural welding and pesticide application, are available.
• Basic farm knowledge, usually obtained from working on a family farm, may be required for employment.
• A course or certificate in first aid may be required.