Job Description for a Livestock Market Operator

Livestock markets are where livestock are bought and sold.

Livestock marketplaces are where livestock are bought and sold for a variety of purposes. Livestock market operators oversee the operations of the marketplace, such as auctions and the weighing of livestock by the weighmasters.

Function

The livestock purchaser must state the purpose for the livestock is being purchased, such as for slaughter. If the purchaser does not state the purpose, the market operator states the purpose, according to the Indiana State Board of Animal Health. Operators must keep records over all sales that occur at the marketplace. Market operators are also responsible for making sure that the market is fully sanitized.

Scales

Markets that have the most accurate scales will be more popular, because the confidence of the buyers and sellers will be higher. The livestock market operator is the one responsible if the weight of the livestock is off. One of three programs administered by the Packers and Stockyards Program (P&SP) can be used to prove that the scale used by the livestock market operator is accurate. Scale testing involves sending someone from the P&SP to test the scale for accuracy every six months. Weighing investigations involve agencies preweighing animals and sending them to the livestock market operator to make sure that the weighing is accurate.

Types

The types of scales used by livestock market operators are the weighbeam, dial, digital and electronic indicators. The platform for the scale should be tailored to the type of animals most commonly weighed. For instance, cattle need 110 pounds per square foot, while hogs need 70 pounds per square foot. Only trained weighmasters should weigh livestock, since incorrect weighing can produce inaccurate results. The scale should be balanced at zero at all times; scale tickets should only be printed when the livestock are on the scale, and everyone with a legitimate interest in the livestock should be able to observe the weighing.

Requirements

There are no formal educational requirements for livestock market operators, though most states regulate livestock markets and require that livestock market operators are licensed. Licenses are not required when an individual buys livestock for his own reasons, purchases livestock for breeding or purchases from a farming enterprise. Also, operators of restaurants, grocery stores, meat processing plants and slaughtering plants can purchase livestock without a license, though the number of livestock cannot exceed 20.

Outlook

The need for agricultural managers is expected to grow by 6 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These managers earned weekly salaries of $775 in 2008.

References

• Indiana State Board of Animal Health: Livestock Market Licenses
• USDA: Livestock Market Operator
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Agricultural Manager