Ranch Hand/Laborer

This is a live on ranch hand opportunity. Please read FULL DISCRIPTION and ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS INCLUDING THE PHONE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AND SKILL ASSESMENTS.

We have a small 9 acre ranch property in Prosser Wa and would like someone to come live on the property and be our ranch hand. Must be trust worthy and dependable with a clean record. The ideal person for this job has lots of ranching experience and a desire to improve our land. He or She will have ideally their own self contained RV to stay in on the property. We can provide power and water however for dumping of waste you will have to take the RV into town and dump it or call a pump truck its about $80 each pumping that way and about $10 each dumping the other way.

This property is all set up for horses. We do not have any horses here personally. However we do have cows and the need for a horse does arise. If you have a horse and would like to keep the horse here we would allow that and include it in return for your services.

We are willing to work with the right person to build a relationship.

COMPENSATION: WE ARE ALLOWING YOU TO STAY AND LIVE ON THE PROPERTY IN TRADE FOR PART TIME TO FULL TIME WORK AROUND THE RANCH.

Please read the description below that will explain about our needs and wants.

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Working as a Ranch Hand: Responsibilities and Different Work Environments

Ranch hands provide a beneficial service to ranches and agricultural facilities by caring for the animals and managing their structures and resources. If you're hoping to become a ranch hand, it's important to understand the major responsibilities and the experience necessary to pursue the role. In this article, we discuss what working as a ranch hand is like, the different work environments and how to become one using a helpful list of steps.
What is it like working as a ranch hand?

Ranch hands help ranches and farms tend to livestock and ensure the ranching facilities and equipment are operating efficiently. They can live near the ranch and commute to work, or they might live directly on the property. As they care for livestock, ranch hands also help with creating or harvesting animal products, such as milk, wool, eggs and honey. They might also have to understand some agricultural operations and use farming equipment to transport hay, conduct weed control and mow the grass and fields.

Throughout their workday, ranch hands might perform several important responsibilities, including:

• Cleaning stalls, pens and other ranch buildings and facilities

• Milking animals by hand or through milking machines

• Grooming, trimming or shearing livestock to ensure wellness or collect products

• Examining animals for illnesses, injuries or other ailments

• Driving trucks and tractors to transport goods and distribute feed and seeds

• Inspecting and maintaining ranching equipment and vehicles

• Herding livestock to pastures for grazing and exercise

• Performing landscape maintenance, such as weed control and snowplowing

• Ordering food for animals and managing the ranch's overall inventory

Work environment for working as a ranch hand:

Ranch hands work long days, often outdoors, performing physically demanding tasks. However, depending on the time of year, their work environment, working hours and daily tasks might change. These are some of the duties they may perform in each season:
Summer
During the summer, ranch hands often work from morning to evening, performing maintenance on the pipes, ditches and other parts of an irrigation system. They also herd livestock between pastures more frequently to prevent the pastures from becoming overgrazed. In June or July, the ranch hands start cutting hay and checking the different haying equipment to ensure it's in working order. During the summer months, ranch hands might also work in the direct heat, so it's important for them to dress appropriately and stay hydrated.
Fall
When fall starts, ranch hands inspect the haying equipment, perform any necessary maintenance and then store it away for the next season. During the fall, they might also start construction projects, such as new fences or facilities, and repair any existing structures before the weather becomes too cold. Before winter, ranch hands start collecting and chopping firewood. They also start feeding the calves by a trough and testing the female cows for pregnancy.
Winter
During the winter, ranch hands might work shorter days because of the snow-covered ground and limited sunlight. They feed the cattle and livestock daily and ensure their buildings and facilities are warm and operational. Ranch hands might also shovel or plow snow that's blocking facility entrances. If necessary, they also continue to repair any fences or structures to make sure they're functional and well kept by the spring.
Spring
Spring is one of the busiest seasons for ranch hands. They help with newly born calves, drying them, feeding them and herding them through pastures once they're old enough. Some ranch hands also start farming and agricultural chores in the spring, helping to level and seed the ground, as well as perform maintenance on farming equipment. Once the snow is finally gone, they also start major repairs on fences, ensuring predators can't access the livestock.
Skills for working as a ranch hand
Here are some of the skills that you will use as our ranch hand

• Communication: During their workday, ranch hands must have powerful communication skills to interact with ranch managers and understand the tasks or assignments given to them. It's also helpful when relaying important information to other ranch hands or communicating challenges with animals, structures or machines.

• Riding skills: ( We do not own any horse currently - If you do you may keep one horse here included with your boarding ) Ranch hands interact with horses quite often throughout their workday. They ride them to help herd animals and travel large distances on the ranch's property in a shorter amount of time.

• Dexterity: While ranch hands are working, they often use dexterity to help them repair fences, equipment and more. The repairs can involve powerful use of their hands and different tools which might require fine motor skills to operate.

• Attention to detail: When examining fences and structures for holes, it's important for ranch hands to use attention to detail to ensure no animals can escape and no predators can enter. Ranch hands also use attention to detail when herding animals to ensure none fall behind.

• Knowledge of machines: Ranch hands use knowledge of machines to help them make important repairs to farming equipment and vehicles. The knowledge helps them identify any major problems or challenges and teaches them to find the right solutions.

• Animal handling: Animal handling is important for ranch hands because they interact with animals daily. Whether they're feeding them, helping them give birth or trimming their fur or mane, ranch hands need to know how to approach animals calmly and develop a bond with them.

If you feel you would be a good fit for this position please don't hesitate to reach out!

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time

Pay: $14.49 - $24.49 per hour

Schedule:

• 4 hour shift
• On call

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Prosser, WA 99350: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)

Application Question(s):

• Are you interested in living on a ranch and trading work for boarding and a place to live?
• Do you have any animals of your own that you would be planning to bring to the ranch? IE: dog, horse etc.
• Please include a LINK to your most updated social media profile.
• Please tell me why you think this opportunity would be a great fit for you?
• Did you complete or do you plan to complete the pre recorded phone screen questions?

Experience:

• Farming: 3 years (Preferred)

Language:

• English (Required)

Work Location: One location