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Herd manager

A herd manager manages the cattle herd on the farm, making sure they are well looked after, and works towards key performance targets, including environmental and financial goals.

Also known as herd supervisor, senior stockperson, assistant herd manager, stockman, stock keeper, farm supervisor, stockperson or herdsperson.

This profile highlights the skills and knowledge associated with the role. However, jobs will have varying responsibilities depending on level of the role and the size or type of the business.

As a herd manager, you can either work with cattle reared for meat (beef cattle) or milk production (dairy cattle). You’ll need to manage all staff working with the herd and regularly work together with the vets, advisers, and farm managers or owners.

You’ll also supervise less experienced staff and casual workers. As part of your role, you will recruit, train, and oversee the retention of new staff.

You’ll make sure cattle have the right amount of food and track their growth and health by keeping comprehensive records, generally using computer-based systems. This will help meet high animal welfare and customer standards.

You’ll ensure all your staff team work together to make sure cattle housing, fencing, and handling facilities are secure and safe to protect the animals.

You'll need experience working with cattle and training staff on using and looking after farm technology, equipment, and machinery. You’ll also need experience with breeding livestock, looking after animals and the environment, health and safety, biosecurity, and a good understanding of how a profitable business works.

The role is often very rewarding, with opportunities to work with other industry professionals to develop the business and make decisions that are good for animal welfare, the environment, and farm sustainability.

You may need your own transport to get to work.

As a herd manager, your responsibilities might include:

Ensuring permanent and casual staff working with the herd have good working practices for health and safety, animal welfare, biosecurity, and environmental protection
Making sure the health and welfare standards of livestock are maintained by feeding, watering, and looking after them correctly
Making sure the animals’ living environment is clean and safe to prevent disease, illness, and injury
Managing the administration of the animal’s medication and vaccinations and recording it correctly
Helping with dairy cow milking, depending on the size of the farm
Ensuring all machinery and cattle-handling equipment are maintained and any reported issues are resolved
Making sure all farm buildings and fixtures meet health and safety requirements to protect the animals from injury or distress
Managing the recruitment of new team members and overseeing the training and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) of all staff
Working with the farm manager/owner, farm vet, and other advisors to oversee cattle breeding, fertility, nutrition, and the herd management plan

To work as a herd manager, you should:

Have a positive attitude
Have excellent communication skills
Be able to lead, inspire, and manage others
Be able to solve problems and suggest ideas
Be able to hand over tasks to others where appropriate
Have a flexible approach and be able to organise and adapt your workload
Be organised and able to plan ahead
Be committed to helping the business improve
Be keen to learn and develop

To become a herd manager, you’ll need extensive experience gained over several years working with livestock, usually as an assistant and possibly as a senior herdsperson. You could decide to study at an agricultural college or university first, where you’ll learn about managing and rearing livestock.

Look out for industry farm training programmes, such as the Next Generation scheme run by the National Farmers Union, that can help kickstart your career.

Reading farming newspapers, magazines, and websites will also develop your knowledge and understanding.

You should expect some weekend/out of normal hours working.

As a herd manager, you’ll be competent in all aspects of animal husbandry, including animal welfare, nutrition, and healthcare, as well as managing the environment. You'll support successful livestock production through:

Managing livestock production to ensure the animals breed and give birth successfully
Ensuring the management of successful livestock husbandry
Managing livestock production that ensures animals receive high-quality feed regimes that sustainably enhance production
Managing livestock production that ensures the effective management of waste in line with legal requirements
Ensuring the management of high milk quality if working in a dairy unit
Managing production that ensures efficient milking to enhance business if working on a dairy unit
Managing the production of high-quality cattle through the effective management of animal health and welfare to enhance the business
Leading staff to achieve goals and be a highly-skilled, productive workforce by ensuring their wellbeing and motivation
Managing the business through knowledge and skills to ensure a clear strategy around the direction of the business, staffing skills, and relationships with external parties
Updating knowledge and skills by participating in and continuing professional development activities

You can find more about the competencies for this role in each sector and how they map with our Capability Framework by downloading our competency profile documents below:

Beef/sheep herd manager competency profile

Dairy herd manager competency profile

Salaries are in the region of £30,000 to £45,000, depending on experience and location. Many herd managers are also offered a house or housing allowance and use of a farm vehicle and mobile phone.

This role is usually a full-time position.

As a herd manager, you might choose to develop your career further by moving on to the role of farm manager. To do this, you will need to further your experience in mentoring or supervising other staff. You’d also need experience helping an overall farm business become more productive.

You could also choose to move into other areas of livestock farming, such as working with different species, like sheep or pigs. Or you could specialise in a particular area of livestock health, such as nutrition.