Job Description

Job Advert Summary

The Chicken Business is currently seeking an analytical, organized and skilled Hatchery Foreman to join the Chicken Agriculture Team. The role will be based in Hammarsdale and will report to the Assistant Hatchery Manager. The successful candidate will be required to ensure that the best quality eggs are set to guarantee the hatch of the best quality chicks at the lowest cost.

Minimum Requirements

• National Dimploma in Animal Production or related qualification
• Valid Code EB drivers’ license
• Minimum of 5 years in a Hatchery environment,
• Minimum of 3 years supervisory and leadership experience
• Well-developed interpersonal and labour relations skills.
• Ability to communicate on all levels within the organization.
• Attention to detail and Good analytical skills

Duties and Responsibilities

Grading

• Receiving of eggs from laying farms or external
• Recording of egg core temperatures
• Verify eggs received and despatched
• Co-ordinating and management of the egg bank
• Planning of flocks to be set and setter cards
• Maintain Pre-Heat Room and Preheating of egg sets
• Monitoring of cold room temperatures and RH% including hygiene and housekeeping

Setters

• Monitoring of environmental conditions and pressures including hygiene
• Planning and monitoring of setting of eggs in the incubators
• Planning and monitoring of transfers into the hatchers
• Monitoring of embryo temperatures
• 10 day candling
• Record and monitor water loss.
• Monitor and record accuracy of incubators

Hatchers

• Prepare hatchers for transfer
• Monitor and record environmental conditions
• Transfer eggs into the hatchers
• Verify flocks transferred
• Program controllers for eggs transferred
• Measure, monitor and record hatch window
• Transfer of chicks to the chick holding area
• Sample chick fluff per hatch
• Cleaning and sanitising processes to be audited

Chick Take-off

• Observe chick quality and contamination of chick debris
• Observe quality of chicks during chick transfer from chick basket to carousel
• Audit chick counting and record any variances
• Monitor and record chick quality
• Measure and record chick weight
• Measure and record yoke free body mass
• Analyse and record unhatched eggs per flock
• Measure and record vent temperatures
• Monitor environmental conditions
• Ensure availability of vaccines
• Prepare vaccine and administer
• Record culls per flock
• Prepare delivery note to dispatch
• Dispose of culls and debris as per procedure
• Monitor and record truck temperature prior to loading
• Dispatch chicks as per placement plan
• Verify chicks loaded with IDN and chick truck driver
• Communicate, dispatch with farm manager, chick placement supervisor, and hatchery
• Reconcile chicks hatched to placement delivery notes and other hatchery and farm manager daily
• Audit and manage seal register

General Production

• Ensure the submission of samples to the laboratory (blood, water, dust, mortality and feed) as required by best operating practices to enable proactive management of potential animal health issues.
• Manage the vaccination process to ensure immunisations and vaccinations are done in time and according to the RPM, BOP and veterinary specifications.
• Ensure that effective rodent control measures are in place.

Hygiene and Biosecurity

• Adhere to the VCD and BOP procedures

Ensure compliance to SHEQ and Risk Management

• Training of staff with regards to animal welfare, food safety , equipment within the operation and Bio-security procedures

Maintenance

• Test equipment and the standby generator on a weekly basis to ensure reliability and good working order.
• Test the alarms in the morning and afternoon, on a daily basis to ensure good working order.
• Maintain the hatchery grounds.