Occupation

Animal Breeders

Human Advantage 61%

Significant human skills needed

AI Automation Risk Moderate Risk
4.1 / 10

Some tasks in this role may be augmented by AI, but human oversight and interpersonal skills remain important.

Select and breed animals according to their genealogy, characteristics, and offspring. May require knowledge of artificial insemination techniques and equipment use. May involve keeping records on heats, birth intervals, or pedigree.

Also Known As: Animal Breeder, Animal Husbandman, Animal Husbandry Technician, Animal Technician, Artificial Insemination Technician (AI Technician), Artificial Inseminator, Aviculturist, Bee Breeder +21 more

Video

Core Tasks

  1. Feed and water animals, and clean and disinfect pens, cages, yards, and hutches.
  2. Observe animals in heat to detect approach of estrus and exercise animals to induce or hasten estrus, if necessary.
  3. Treat minor injuries and ailments and contact veterinarians to obtain treatment for animals with serious illnesses or injuries.
  4. Purchase and stock supplies of feed and medicines.
  5. Select animals to be bred, and semen specimens to be used, according to knowledge of animals, genealogies, traits, and desired offspring characteristics.
  6. Examine animals to detect symptoms of illness or injury.
  7. Build hutches, pens, and fenced yards.
  8. Record animal characteristics such as weights, growth patterns, and diets.
  9. Brand, tattoo, or tag animals to allow animal identification.

Supplemental Tasks (12)

  1. Arrange for sale of animals and eggs to hospitals, research centers, pet shops, and food processing plants.
  2. Place vaccines in drinking water, inject vaccines, or dust air with vaccine powder to protect animals from diseases.
  3. Bathe and groom animals.
  4. Exercise animals to keep them in healthy condition.
  5. Adjust controls to maintain specific building temperatures required for animals' health and safety.
  6. Maintain logs of semen specimens used and animals bred.
  7. Inject prepared animal semen into female animals for breeding purposes, by inserting nozzle of syringe into vagina and depressing syringe plunger.
  8. Clip or shear hair on animals.
  9. Package and label semen to be used for artificial insemination, recording information such as the date, source, quality, and concentration.
  10. Exhibit animals at shows.
  11. Measure specified amounts of semen into calibrated syringes, and insert syringes into inseminating guns.
  12. Examine semen microscopically to assess and record density and motility of gametes, and dilute semen with prescribed diluents, according to formulas.

Education & Training

Job Zone 2 Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed
Education: These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Experience: Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
On-the-Job Training: Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Education Level Distribution

Percentage of workers in this occupation with each education level.

High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
86%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
6%
Some College Courses
4%
Bachelor's Degree
3%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.
1%

Technology & Tools

Hot Technologies

  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Adobe Creative Cloud software
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe InDesign
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Microsoft Access
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft SharePoint
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Microsoft Word

Software (22)

  • Breedtrak
  • Email software
  • KinTraks
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer
  • Questionmark Perception
  • Respondus
  • Reudink Software ZooEasy
  • VSN International GenStat
  • Winners Programs BirdStud
  • Winners Programs Uni-Stud

Tools & Equipment (44)

  • Agar plates
  • Animal blood analyzers
  • Animal blood collection syringes
  • Animal pregnancy testing kits
  • Animal vaccination syringes
  • Artificial insemination syringes
  • Artificial vaginas
  • Automated feed batch mixers
  • Automatic watering devices
  • Birth alarms
  • Branding equipment
  • Compact digital cameras
  • Computer laser printers
  • DNA typing kits
  • Dehorners
  • Densimeters
  • Desktop computers
  • Dummy mares
  • Ear tagging equipment
  • External ultrasound units
  • Handheld computers
  • Hormone testing kits
  • Horse breeding chutes
  • Laboratory benchtop centrifuges
  • Laboratory binocular microscopes
  • Laboratory dropping pipettes
  • Laboratory water baths
  • Laptop computers
  • Laser facsimile machines
  • Lead radiology aprons
  • Lethal injection equipment
  • Liquid nitrogen storage tank
  • Livestock restraint treatment stalls
  • Mechanical laboratory incubators
  • Microchip scanners
  • Ovulation prediction monitors
  • Personal computers
  • Semen collection containers
  • Semen collection kits
  • Spectroscopes
  • Sperm counters
  • Stage warmers
  • Submersible stock tank heaters
  • Tattoo equipment

Where This Career Leads

Career progression organized by specialty track and experience level.

Animal Systems Healthcare & Human Services

Zone 2
Animal Breeders You are here
Zone 5
Biologists 78% match

Resume Builder

Select key tasks to generate action-oriented resume bullets for Animal Breeders positions.

Related Occupations

Show all 20 related occupations

Real Talk

Hear from real Animal Breederss about their work: