WHAT IT MEANS TO BE AN ANIMAL BREEDER

An animal breeder refers to someone tasked with the responsibility of producing animal used for specific purposes among them being championship, sport, or consumption. The knowledge of genetics is used in this regard to choosing a breeding stock that gives rise to superior offspring. Breeders attempt to come up with valuable traits when designing the breedings.

The role of animal breeders includes promoting breedings either by live cover or artificial insemination, upholding cages, managing supplements, and keeping tracks of health records. In addition, Animal breeders may work in conjunction with other specialists such as a large animal or small animal veterinarians to keep an appropriate health of the breeding stock.

There are different lines of specialization for Animal Breeders. They can focus on one species such as dogs, horses, cattle or fish among others. Some breeders may specialize further by focusing on producing only a particular breed of their choice. What is more, they can choose to be self-employed or to offer services to a major farm or producer. Still, they can opt to work either on a full time or part-time basis.

Education and Training

Even though there is no specific formal degree necessary to be an animal breeder, most of the individuals in the industry hold degrees in such fields as animal science or biology, with course works including anatomy and reproduction among others. Still, courses in marketing, communication, and technology may as well be significant for aspiring animal breeders.

Experience plays a significant role in nearly all career paths and animal breeding is no different. The familiarity with the species and the kind of breed targeted is quite prudent. But how can one gain such an experience? Well, there are a number of alternatives, either by judging, contending in breed shows, dealing with established producers, or completing a formal course in a competitive institution such as a university.

The Job Outlook

Animal breeding is characterized by a slow but stable job growth with more considerable indicators of growth probably in the livestock industry.

Specialty breeders of performance animals are not discriminated in this regard. They too can witness a constant growth in their sectors in the industry. In addition, part-time breeders make significant contributions to the entire sector as they hold full-time positions in other fields.

Notably, the animal breeding sector is quite manageable as a part-time work, especially in a case where an individual holds interests in other lines production.

In any formal work, it is important for the involved party to always be discerning in order to be successful. It is no different with animal breeding. It is very imperative for breeders to use discretion while choosing species for breeding purposes. Never should they permit inferior representatives of the species in question to add to the gene pool. As a matter of fact, a superior progeny boosts an animal breeder’s status and contributes to their continued success.

The Salary of an Animal Breeder

It is vital to mention that the salaries of animal breeders are not constant. Just like in other fields, the earnings are dictated by a number of factors, including job description, academic qualifications, and other terms of the agreement.

The annual income of animal breeders varies significantly as dictated by the quality of their product or animal produced, the intended use of the produced animal, their current market valuation, and the standing of the breeder across the industry. From the 2014 labor statistics salary analysis, animal breeders had a mean income of $43, 470. The largest mean salaries were found in New York City $52,180, Wisconsin with $42, 210, California had $39,240, and finally Kentucky with $36,900. Evidently, these states constitute some of the largest livestock yield centers in the United States.

As highlighted in the preceding section, some animal breeders may opt to work on a part-time basis while holding full-time positions in other fields. By so doing, they earn significantly lower salaries in this sector compared to individuals working on a full-time basis. Nevertheless, this may not always be the case.

To this end, it is evident that Animal Breeder is a mere title that may that may be used in a number of precise occupations. The breeders do their best to meet specific standards established by well-known organizations, for example, American Kennel Club. It is correct to conclude that animal breeder as a title refers to an animal technician who device more efficient ways of coming up with the meet along with other animal products for human consumption.

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