Breeder Service Technician

Position: Breeder Service Technician - Contract
The Opportunity:

The Breeder Service Technician is a highly technical, on farm hands-on role and is responsible for representing the Hatchery while guiding and influencing Hatching Egg Producers to follow broiler breeder management best practices. The result is the producer and the hatchery maintain and ideally maximize hatching egg quality and volumes. The Breeder Service Technician maintains open communication with internal and external stakeholders to ensure issues are identified, addressed appropriately, regulations are followed, and animal husbandry and welfare standards are achieved.

Any MLF team member interested in being considered for this role are encouraged to apply online by March 03. Applications received beyond that date are not guaranteed consideration. Snapshot of a Day-in-the-Life:

• Work closely with the hatchery, hatching egg producers, and veterinarians to maintain flock health, production, hatching egg quality, and hatchability.
• Provide flock management recommendations regarding brooding, feeding, bodyweight, fleshing, disease prevention, egg production/quality, fertility and flock health and welfare.
• Using the national hatching egg producer quality program (CHEQ), ensure that breeder farms are providing best management recommendations regarding ventilation, water treatment, lighting, litter management and pest control.
• Establish relationships by working in conjunction with hatching egg producers to ensure best practices are in place and provide feedback to hatchery about farm concerns that may impact results.
• Responsible to communicate with production coordinator/hatchery manager regarding flock performance for egg supply.
• Responsible to submit birds or samples to laboratories as required for provincial regulations or under veterinarian direction for bird health and quality programs.
• Facilitate communications between primary breeder company, Maple Leaf Foods, and hatching egg producers including all necessary paperwork.
• Monitor and ensure correct vaccination program is being followed, which may include advising producers on vaccine administration, preparing vaccination schedules, and delivery of vaccines.
• Responsible for collection and submission of samples for salmonella monitoring (AHEP/PIE programs), serology and quality assurance monitoring as directed by the hatchery and the AHEP Salmonella Enteritidis policy.
• Responsible to develop and follow a visitation/service schedule in consultation with hatching egg producers to meet objectives and production performance and egg quality, including day old placements.
• Provide field technical servicing to hatching egg producers including, but not limited to blood sampling, bird weighing, environmental swabbing, necropsies, tissue sampling.
• Responsible to submit documents to meet primary breeder and provincial board requirements.
• Develop reports for all producer flock records to identify trends, changes, possible challenges and opportunities for improvement. May include, but is not limited to placements, production, and mortality.
• Technical transfer of management techniques and emerging technologies that improves field performance such as contact with primary breeder companies, other industry organizations, current scientific literature, and industry technical information to understand flock management recommendations based on breed and product advancements.
• Perform various SAP data processing tasks.

What You’ll Bring :

• Post-secondary education, preferably in agricultural, animal science, or related field (or equivalent work experience)
• Experience working in or with poultry/broiler breeder operations preferred
• Supply managed commodity experience an asset
• Strong desire to educate and drive continuous improvement initiatives through the adoption of best practices with excellent interpersonal and influencing skills
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Analytical and reporting skill set with ability to provide recommendations
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment; be self-motivated and enthusiastic
• Leadership skills to lead discussions and navigate conflicting ideas and conversations
• Willingness to develop into role
• Strong…