Hatchery Foreman at RCL Foods

The Role

RCL FOODS is on the hunt for an experienced Hatchery Foreman to join our Hatchery based in East London. As the Hatchery Foreman, You will report in to the Hatchery Manager, and will be responsible for ensuring that the best quality eggs are set in order to ensure the hatch of the best quality chicks at the lowest cost, delivered to satisfied customers.

Minimum Requirements:

• Minimum Grade 12, relevant tertiary qualification will be an advantage.
• Code 10 driver’s license would be an advantage.
• Minimum of 2 years relevant hatchery experience.
• Minimum of 1 year supervisory and leadership experience.
• Ability to work shift work/ standby/overtime and in quarantine.
• Obligated to reside full time on company property as part of custodial responsibilities.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Operation supervision:

Grading

• Receiving of eggs from laying farms or external
• Recording of egg core temperatures
• Verify eggs received and despatched
• 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

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

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 and weight
• Analsye and record unhatched eggs per flock
• Measure and record vent temperatures
• Monitor environmental conditions
• Ensure availability of vaccines

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