Poultry Veterinarian - Grain Field Chickens at VKB Group

Job Description

The Veterinarian is responsible for providing veterinary services to both contract growers and related departments of Grain Field Chickens. This include conducting clinical assessments and disease investigations, implementing preventive medicine practices and early disease diagnosis and treatment, monitoring and enforcing animal welfare standards, enforcing various legislative acts, regulations and inspection services of provincial and national government for the treatment, prevention, control and eradication of poultry diseases as well as investigating food safety issues and diseases.

Requirements

• BVSc degree from a reputable institution.
• Qualified Veterinarian registered with SAVC.
• Some experience as a registered veterinarian will be an advantage.
• Previous poultry industry experience will be a definite advantage.
• Intermediate Microsoft Office Package skills (Word, Excel, Outlook).
• Willingness to work emergencies or extra hours when needed.

Duties and responsibilities

• Performs routine flock checks by visiting contract grower farms and conducting examination/ clinical assessments on a regular basis.
• Performs autopsies and collects laboratory samples, evaluates chicken house management and animal welfare.
• Assess computer production data, records detailed clinical, environmental finding and animal husbandry data, summarize findings, prepare reports and discusses with Operations Manager.
• Investigates disease outbreaks and significant drops in production, makes diagnosis, initiates a course of treatment or arranges for eradication and repopulation of a flock, if necessary.
• Is available on a 24-hour emergency basis to contract growers and abattoir.
• Develops and modifies Preventive Medicine/ Flock Health Programs including developing and following Biosecurity protocols to prevent disease transmission.
• Interprets laboratory reports, makes diagnosis and reports findings to stakeholders.
• Maintains records and files, completes forms and prescriptions and compiles regular reports.
• Issues prescriptions, instructs contract growers on proper dosage, mixing directions, method and rate of delivery.
• Participates in front-line monitoring of legislated animal diseases which could have significance for animal health, public health and the business.
• Regularly monitors related business areas/ contract grower farms for specific diseases.
• Provides training to staff, contract growers and employees as well as external/ internal students.
• Responds to product problems/ irregularities at processing plant, participates in Emergency Management Team activities as well as regular Management meetings at both Farms and Abattoir Level.
• Establish or carry out quarantine or testing procedures that combat the spread of diseases to humans or to other animals according to established government regulations.
• Liaise with various industry bodies and government institutions as well as participate in related industry forums and associations.
• Any other duties as may be required by management.

Skills Required

• Excellent planning and organizing skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work within teams.
• A strong ability to be adaptable and flexible.
• Strong analytical and decision-making skills.
• Highly motivated and results oriented.
• Good presentation and communication skills.
• Good operational skills, but also strong strategic focus.