Poultry Farm Worker

A poultry farm worker maintains the health, welfare, and productivity of chickens, turkeys, ducks, or other domestic fowl in commercial or small-scale farming operations. They perform daily husbandry tasks including feeding, watering, housing maintenance, egg collection, and health monitoring across various housing systems from intensive sheds to free-range facilities. The role requires understanding of poultry behaviour, biosecurity protocols, and compliance with animal welfare standards and food safety regulations applicable in Australia.

Feed poultry using automated systems or manual methods, monitoring feed quality and adjusting portions based on bird age, type, and production stage. Maintain water delivery systems including drinkers, troughs, and pipework to ensure clean water availability and identify blockages or contamination. Collect and grade eggs by size and quality, pack into cartons, and store in temperature-controlled facilities according to food safety standards. Clean and disinfect housing, perches, nesting boxes, and equipment using approved cleaning agents and following biosecurity protocols to prevent disease transmission. Monitor bird health and behaviour, identifying signs of illness, injury, or stress and reporting to farm management or veterinarian. Apply preventative health measures including vaccination programmes, parasite treatment, and beak trimming according to veterinary guidance. Manage litter and bedding materials, removing soiled bedding and replacing with fresh material to maintain hygiene and bird comfort. Inspect housing structures, ventilation systems, heating equipment, and fencing to ensure they meet welfare standards and repair minor defects.

The standard entry pathway requires a Certificate II or III (ABS skill level 4). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

The work is physically demanding and monotonous: you'll be on your feet in hot, dusty sheds doing repetitive tasks like cleaning, feeding, and egg collection every single day. Pay is low and capped; there's little room to earn significantly more without moving into farm management. Biosecurity rules mean you can't leave easily during shifts, and the emotional toll of culling birds or dealing with disease outbreaks isn't talked about much.

In reality, jobs are almost entirely in regional areas tied to major processing facilities; remote work isn't an option. You'll need to be willing to live near farming operations.

• Adaptability and Flexibilitycore
• Attention to Detailcore
• Incident Reportingcore
• Inventory Trackingcore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Quality Assurance and Checkingcore
• Record Managementcore
• Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Team Collaborationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Active Listening
• Basic Arithmetic and Numerical Accuracy
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Process Improvement Identification
• Stock Counting and Stocktake
• Supplier Communication
• Verbal Communication
• Workload Self-Management

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

What Poultry Farm Worker move into, from ten years of tax records.

Last updated: 30 October 2026