🐖 Agricultural Swine Herdsperson
Produce Track
Non-Compulsory Trade
Care for pigs and manage modern livestock systems to produce safe, efficient, and high-quality food.
🚧 What You Do
- Feed, water, and monitor pigs at all stages of growth
- Manage breeding programs and farrowing (birth of piglets)
- Track animal health, growth, and behaviour
- Maintain barns, ventilation systems, and feeding equipment
- Follow strict biosecurity and sanitation protocols
🧭 Your Pathway
Option 1: Direct to Farm
Start working on a swine farm and gain experience while registering as an apprentice.
Start working on a swine farm and gain experience while registering as an apprentice.
Option 2: College First
Take an agriculture or livestock program, then move into the trade.
Take an agriculture or livestock program, then move into the trade.
⏱️ Training & Hours
Apprenticeship Length
Approximately 2 years
Approximately 2 years
Total Hours
~3,000 hours (on-the-job training)
~3,000 hours (on-the-job training)
In-School Training
May include short technical or agricultural training sessions
May include short technical or agricultural training sessions
Earn While You Learn
Paid work while completing your training
Paid work while completing your training
💰 Pay & Opportunities
- Entry-level: $18–$25/hour
- Experienced: $25–$35/hour+
- Opportunities to supervise operations or manage a farm
- Pathways into agricultural business, genetics, or production management
🧠 Skills You Need
- Comfort working with animals in a farm environment
- Attention to detail (health monitoring is critical)
- Strong work ethic and reliability
- Ability to follow safety and biosecurity rules
- Mechanical awareness for equipment and systems
❓ Questions to Ask Someone in This Trade
- What does a typical day in a swine barn look like?
- What are the biggest challenges in raising pigs?
- How important is technology in modern farming?
- What should I learn before starting?
🎟️ Trade Tracks Passport
Talk to a swine herdsperson and get your stamp!