JOB TITLE: Animal handler and assistant to the shearer
BRIEF DESCRIPTION: The assistant will work with large animals while they are being sheared – primarily sheep, goats, alpacas, and llamas, although occasionally we clip horses and trim potbelly pig hooves and tusks.
WHEN: Temporary seasonal – ordinarily begins in mid-April and runs through end of July. The work depends very much on the weather; we work all days of the week, although ordinarily not more than 4-5 at any given stretch. Every day and every week is different.
WHERE: Shearer is based out of Montgomery County, MD and day jobs will begin from there. There are also usually several 4-6 trips out of state (primarily New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia).
PAY: Payment is made on a weekly basis and is based on a percentage of the total gross for the week. Every day is different, but on average, the pay ordinarily ranges between $15 and $25/hour. 1099 will be issued at the end of the fiscal year.
REQUIREMENTS:
- A great love for animals
- Good physical health and stamina
- Ability to work long days
- A sense of adventure – you enjoy being out on the road!
- Excellent sense of humor
- Authorized to work in the US
- Has own vehicle (to meet up – all travel will be done in the shearer’s vehicle) and good driving record (will share the driving on the longer trips)
- Experience with large animals is preferred but not required
- Non smoker
- You must have your own health insurance
- Be 18 or older
FULL DESCRIPTION: This is an unusual job. It’s very intense for a short period of time, because the shearing of fiber animals must be done when it’s not too cold anymore but hasn’t yet become too hot. This is not a job for just making money (although it is well paid) – it’s a lifestyle! It’s very educational and often quite fun. It’s also dirty, gritty, and the hours can be quite long.
If you really love animals, you will love this job. If you are curious about animal husbandry, health, welfare, if you would enjoy visiting hundreds of different farms, and if you like being out on the road and having a different workday every day – you will enjoy this job a lot.
If you don’t really REALLY enjoy animals, you will not enjoy this job. If you mind being dirty and exhausted, you will not like this job. You will get spat on, peed on, stepped on, and sometimes even kicked. But you will learn a great deal.
Full training is provided in how to work efficiently and humanely with the animals. The assistant must have good core strength and the willingness and stamina to work long days. An ability to roll with the punches and a really good sense of humor are essential. We travel to each farm to shear their animals; some farms have one animal and some have 50. Every farm is different. Some or prepared and some are disorganized. Some are very clean and some are really dirty. We provide an important service for the health of fiber-growing animals, no matter the conditions.
The assistant will also have the opportunity to learn hoof trimming, camelid tooth trimming, and some shearing, if desired.
For the sake of logistics, the assistant should be based close to Montgomery or Frederick counties in Maryland.
This job offers great experience for someone who:
- Is interested in going to vet school
- Is interested in farm/ranch management, zoology, or other animal-related professions
- Simply loves animals and being outside
- Thinks they might be interested in learning how to shear
This job is NOT for someone who:
- Is afraid of any sort of animal (we meet all kinds on our travels)
- Has responsibilities at home that require being finished with work at a specific time
- Has a criminal record
- Does not have local lodging
- Has bad knees (this job requires getting up and down repeatedly)
- Has really bad allergies (we are outside all of the time when pollen is at its height)
QUESTIONS? I’m glad to answer questions you may have, and I’ll provide contact with my other assistants to serious applicants so you can “get the full scoop”.