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Farm Hand

Farm Hand assist in a variety of duties concerned with the breeding, raising and care of livestock, the growing of crops and other farming activities.

Tasks & duties

Farm work varies depending on the time of year and the type of farm. Sheep/cattle farm assistants help farmers and may do some or all of the following:

shift sheep or cattle between paddocks to ensure sufficient feed is available
muster sheep and cattle
drench and dip sheep and cattle to keep them healthy
maintain buildings, yards and fences
monitor sheep and cattle health regularly
distribute supplementary feed to animals
operate farm machinery
shear sheep

Crop farm assistants help crop farmers and may do some or all of the following:

prepare land for cropping
spray crops for diseases while they are growing
harvest crops
maintain farm buildings and equipment
operate farm machinery

Dairy farm assistants help dairy farmers and may do some or all of the following:

milk cows and sterilise milking equipment
rear calves
feed calves
feed cows supplementary feed, such as hay and silage
shift electric fences to allocate correct grass to cows
clean and repair farm equipment such as buildings and machinery
operate farm machinery

Skills & knowledge

Farm assistants need to have:

good knowledge of different types of farming methods, including cultivation and harvesting methods, sprays and spraying techniques and how to manage grass and feed
knowledge of how to use and care for farm equipment and machinery
practical skills for tasks such as fencing
mechanical skills for repairing equipment
animal-handling skills
problem-solving and organisational skills
driving skills to get around the farm on motorbikes, tractors or farm utility vehicles

Entry requirements

There are no specific requirements for becoming a farm assistant. Skills are gained on the job.

Secondary education

Although there are no specific secondary educational requirements, useful subjects include agriculture, horticulture, workshop technology, maths, English and science.

Tertiary Education

A National Certificate in Agriculture, specialising in dairy, cattle or sheep farming, may be useful. Higher qualifications such as a Diploma in Agriculture or Farm Management are also worth considering.