Hatchery Laborer

Job Duties, Physical Requirements, and Dexterity

Hatchery Laborers wash floats, transport hatcher trays, sanitize the separator and hatcher, set eggs, transfer eggs, and load chicks onto the conveyor. Washing floats involves removing hatcher trays, over‑turning the float to remove debris, and rinsing with a high‑pressure hose.

The separator is sanitized using a foaming system with sodium hypochlorite and then rinsed with a high‑pressure hose. Sanitizing the hatcher requires removing fans from the inside, sweeping the floor, foaming with sodium hypochlorite, and rinsing. Setting eggs requires lifting 10‑pound egg trays and placing them into stacked buggies, moving from floor level to shoulder level.

Transferring eggs involves pushing buggies on casters loaded with eggs to the vaccination table, placing each tray on the table, then returning each tray to the buggy and rolling the buggy to the hatcher. Loading chicks onto the belt involves removing chick trays from the buggy and placing the tray onto the conveyor.

• Continuous standing, walking, bending, and reaching.
• Some roles require pinch grip, back extension/flexion, and/or shoulder extension/flexion.

Hearing protection is required in posted areas. Slip‑resistant shoes are required in all areas. Steel‑toe shoes are required during set and transfer. Cotton gloves are optional and may be used as needed.

1–2 weeks.

Conditions are wet and humid during sanitation. Team members spend approximately two hours per shift in incubators, which reach 99°F, and are exposed to dusty conditions when chicks are in production.

EOE/Vet/Disabled.