This Dairy Goat and Sheep Production Manager job description sets out the main duties, qualifications, skills and measures of success for the role, which is also known as Dairy Goat Farm Manager, Sheep Dairy Manager, Small Ruminant Production Manager or Livestock Production Manager. Download it free as a Word or PDF template and adapt it for your own vacancy.
| Job title | Dairy Goat and Sheep Production Manager |
| Also known as | Dairy Goat Farm Manager, Sheep Dairy Manager, Small Ruminant Production Manager, Livestock Production Manager |
| Department | Dairy farming |
| Reports to | Operations Director or Managing Director |
| Direct reports | Farm managers, stockpeople and farm staff across the sites |
What does a Dairy Goat and Sheep Production Manager do?
The Animal Production Manager leads technical production across a group of goat and sheep farms, with a focus on dairy goats. The role sets standards for housing, feeding, health and breeding, manages the farm teams, and is accountable for production forecasts and the profitability of the livestock operation.
Dairy Goat and Sheep Production Manager duties and responsibilities
Policy and standards
- Write and roll out production policies, SOPs and targets for every farm
- Visit sites regularly to check procedures are followed and correct shortfalls
- Ensure compliance with animal welfare, medicines, movement and environmental rules
Husbandry and health
- Oversee the care of animals from birth through to sale or culling
- Make sure housing is adequate, clean and well maintained
- Set feeding programmes with the nutritionist for kids, lambs, milking goats and ewes
- Agree preventive health plans with the vet, including vaccination and parasite control
- Manage manure and animal waste safely and in line with environmental rules
Breeding and milk production
- Plan breeding seasons using natural service and artificial insemination
- Oversee pregnancy scanning, kidding and lambing
- Monitor milk yields and quality and improve milking routines
- Select replacement stock to improve genetics
Equipment and facilities
- Oversee the operation, repair and maintenance of production equipment, including milking machines
- Plan and prioritise investment in housing and equipment
- Keep maintenance records and service schedules up to date
People, reporting and profit
- Plan, allocate and supervise the work of farm teams
- Prepare regular progress reports and production forecasts
- Manage budgets and hold profit and loss responsibility across the farms
- Respond to emergencies and take part in an on-call rota
Dairy Goat and Sheep Production Manager qualifications and experience
Essential
- Degree in agriculture, animal science or a related subject such as animal engineering
- At least five years' experience in livestock production management in a similar business
- Practical knowledge of dairy goat and sheep husbandry, feeding, health and breeding
- Experience managing people across more than one site
- Experience of budgets and profit and loss responsibility
- Full driving licence, as the role travels regularly between farms
Desirable
- Experience of goat or sheep milking systems
- AI or breeding programme experience with small ruminants
- Knowledge of farm management software
- Postgraduate qualification in animal production
Skills and attributes
- Analytical and well organised, able to prioritise against several deadlines
- Clear spoken and written communication
- Planning, delegating and supervising the work of others
- Calm response to emergencies
- Commercial and financial awareness
- Technical problem solving
How success is measured
- Kid and lamb survival to weaning
- Milk yield per goat and milk quality results
- Production against forecast
- Cost per litre and profit against budget
- Scanning and kidding or lambing percentages
- Welfare and compliance audit results
Working conditions and safety
A multi-site role combining office work with frequent travel to farms and hands-on work on the ground. It includes on-call cover for emergencies and requires the physical ability to work with livestock while wearing PPE.
- Follow health and safety rules and safe systems of work, and wear the correct PPE
- Follow animal welfare, biosecurity and medicine-use procedures at all times
- Report hazards, accidents, near misses and concerns promptly
Dairy Goat and Sheep Production Manager interview questions
Use these questions to assess candidates for a Dairy Goat and Sheep Production Manager role. Each one includes what a good answer shows.
- What would you include in a preventive health plan for a dairy goat herd?
What a good answer shows: Covers vaccination, parasite control, foot care, mastitis and kid rearing, agreed with the vet and reviewed against data. - How would you plan breeding across several goat farms to keep milk supply steady through the year?
What a good answer shows: Understands seasonal breeding, out-of-season techniques and staggered kidding to match milk volume to demand. - How would you work with a nutritionist to set feeding programmes for milking goats and kids?
What a good answer shows: Matches rations to stage of production, uses forage analysis and condition scoring, and adjusts based on results. - What would you look at to improve milk quality and the milking routine on a goat farm?
What a good answer shows: Reviews cell counts, bacteria results, machine function and routine, and trains staff in consistent, hygienic milking. - Milk yields on one farm are 15% below forecast. How would you investigate?
What a good answer shows: Checks feeding, health, kidding pattern, milking routine and records methodically before agreeing a recovery plan. - A disease outbreak is confirmed on one site. How do you protect the other farms?
What a good answer shows: Isolates the site, restricts movements of people, animals and vehicles, involves the vet and communicates clearly with all teams. - How do you check that welfare and medicines rules are followed on farms you visit only occasionally?
What a good answer shows: Uses audits, record checks, clear SOPs and unannounced visits, and treats shortfalls seriously with firm follow-up. - How do you make sure manure and animal waste are handled safely and within environmental rules?
What a good answer shows: Knows storage and spreading rules and pollution risks, and checks compliance through records and site visits. - How do you hold farm managers on different sites to the same standards?
What a good answer shows: Sets clear targets and SOPs, reviews data regularly, and coaches managers while holding them accountable. - How do you plan and allocate work across farm teams during kidding and lambing?
What a good answer shows: Plans staffing ahead, sets clear routines and priorities, and keeps cover in place for nights and emergencies.
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Frequently asked questions
The Animal Production Manager leads technical production across a group of goat and sheep farms, with a focus on dairy goats. The role sets standards for housing, feeding, health and breeding, manages the farm teams, and is accountable for production forecasts and the profitability of the livestock operation.
Employers usually look for: degree in agriculture, animal science or a related subject such as animal engineering; at least five years' experience in livestock production management in a similar business; practical knowledge of dairy goat and sheep husbandry, feeding, health and breeding.
A Dairy Goat and Sheep Production Manager usually reports to the Operations Director or Managing Director. Direct reports typically include farm managers, stockpeople and farm staff across the sites.
Yes. Download the free Word template, add your location, contract and salary details, and adapt the duties to your site. You can then advertise the role on Dairy Jobs.
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