Ranch Veterinary Assistant - Kapiti Plains Estate Limited

Key Responsibilities

Animal Health Management:

• Administer medications, vaccines, and treatments to sick or injured livestock as prescribed by the resident veterinarian.
• Assist with post-mortem examinations and collect biological samples (blood, tissue, faecal samples) for laboratory analysis.
• Identify and report common regional diseases (e.g., tick-borne diseases, foot-and-mouth, anthrax) to the veterinarian promptly.
• Monitor animal health status daily and escalate any disease outbreaks or unusual mortalities.

Herd & Breeding Management:

• Assist with artificial insemination (AI), pregnancy diagnoses, calving support, and branding or identification procedures.
• Ensure proper animal tagging and tracking (notching, tattoos, RFID tags, ear tagging) for accurate herd records.
• Support the Ranch/Livestock Manager in selection of breeding stock, culling candidates, and sale animals.
• Maintain calving records and assist with neonatal care.

Husbandry & Nutrition:

• Monitor feed and water consumption for all livestock herds and report any deviations from normal intake.
• Oversee grazing management programmes in coordination with the Ranch/Livestock Manager, including rotational grazing and supplementary feeding.
• Ensure animal handling facilities (crush pens, dipping tanks, loading ramps) remain sanitary, safe, and well-maintained.
• Assist with deworming, dehorning, docking, and hoof trimming as required.

Routine Procedures & Emergency Response:

• Perform routine treatments including dipping, spraying, and pour-on acaricides for tick and parasite control.
• Respond to livestock emergencies (e.g., dystocia, injuries, poisoning, predator attacks) outside normal working hours when necessary.
• Assist in quarantine procedures for incoming or sick animals to prevent disease spread.

Record Keeping & Data Management:

• Maintain detailed logs of all treatments, medications administered, vaccination schedules, and herd health statistics.
• Update breeding records, pregnancy diagnosis results, and calving outcomes in the electronic database.
• Prepare daily and weekly animal health reports for the Ranch/Livestock Manager and resident veterinarian.
• Track mortality and morbidity rates and assist in identifying trends for preventive action.

Research Support:

• Support ILRI scientists and visiting researchers conducting trials on animal health, vaccine development, disease ecology, and livestock-wildlife interfaces.
• Assist in collecting and processing biological samples for research purposes following ethical and safety protocols.
• Ensure research protocols involving animals are followed without compromising animal welfare.

Administrative & Cross-Cutting:

• Manage veterinary supplies and medications inventory, ensuring timely reordering and proper storage (cold chain where applicable).
• Participate in ILRI Kapiti staff meetings and contribute to overall station management.
• Carry out any other duties as assigned by the Ranch/Livestock Manager or Senior Manager/Head - Kapiti.

Requirements

Essential:

• Diploma in Animal Health and Production from a recognised institution
• Registration with the Kenya Veterinary Board (KVB) is mandatory add that the candidate is retained as well.

Experience:

• 3 years of hands-on experience in livestock, dairy, or conservancy herd management.
• Demonstrated experience in administering treatments, vaccinations, and basic diagnostics in large-scale livestock operations.
• Experience working with cattle (preferably improved breeds such as Boran) in a ranch or conservancy setting.

Desirable:

• Experience with artificial insemination (AI) and pregnancy diagnosis.
• Experience working in a research environment or supporting scientific trials.
• Familiarity with wildlife-livestock interface issues (disease transmission, zoonotic diseases).

Technical Skills:

• Strong understanding of livestock anatomy, common regional diseases (especially tick-borne diseases), and treatment protocols.
• Proficient in basic computer literacy for record keeping (MS Office Word, Excel).
• Ability to maintain electronic and paper-based animal health records accurately.