Summary

Join our team as a Hatchery Production Associate! We’re looking for dedicated individuals who thrive in a fast-paced environment and are committed to upholding the highest standards of quality and safety. As a Hatchery Production Associate, you’ll play a crucial role in handling and caring for eggs and newly hatched animals, maintaining the hatchery environment and equipment, and following strict safety, sanitation and biosecurity protocols. These tasks are essential for ensuring healthy chicks and a safe food supply.

Days of Work: Typical chick processing days are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, regardless of holidays. Other days may be scheduled as needed. 

This position has a base rate of $16.01 per hour.

In addition to hourly wages, Perdue offers a competitive benefits package, including medical/Rx, 401(k) with employer match after 1 year, critical illness, accident insurance, dental, vision, life insurance, optional group life insurance, short-term and long-term disability protection, flexible spending accounts and paid time off.

Principal and Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Thoroughly clean and sanitize entire hatchery, which may include processing areas, equipment, etc. to the greatest extent possible to reduce the presence of mold and bacteria. 
• Must be able to use broom, shovel, mop and scrub brushes to remove chick down, and work with chemicals to effectively wash and disinfect hatchers through hand scrubbing and high-pressure washer.
• Properly and efficiently operate tray wash and/or separator machines, ensuring maximum throughput with minimum product damage.
• Safely transport and process eggs and chicks daily, ensuring accurate chick distribution and proper chick quality control.
• Empties hatcher racks back into the hatcher room at completion of clean up.
• Assess chick quality to identify culls.
• Assist with egg transfer crews when scheduled. Duties may include removing bad eggs, ensuring a steady supply of dollies to and from hatchers, clean-up and other needs as directed. 
• Loading and unloading egg trucks.
• Ability to document on an electronic tablet and/or hard copy various quality control checks throughout the day in a time sensitive manner.
• Monitors machines and equipment for proper operation and document findings.  Adjust as necessary or inform supervisor when machine or equipment performance is deficient.
• Ability to adapt and learn various positions and procedures. Have flexibility to rotate through different assignments as needed. 
• Perform all duties as requested by management in a timely and efficient manner, in accordance with hatchery and company standard operating procedures, while fostering team spirit and morale.
• Adhere to strict biosecurity standards including no exposure to or raising of any wild or commercial or pet birds.
• Must adhere to Perdue's poultry welfare policies, standards and guidelines to maximize animal health and comfort while reducing stress in both developing embryos and live chicks.

Minimum Education

• High school or equivalent not required but preferred. 

Experience Requirements

• Reading and writing skills preferred.

Experience Preferred

• 6 months of steady work history is preferred.
• Ability to work independently
• Ability to input data into tablets

Environmental Factors and Physical Requirements

• Exposed to temperatures ranging from 60 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit and humidities up to 100%. 
• Exposed to chemicals and vaccines to be covered in SDS training and hazardous communications. 
• Use personal protective equipment as required. 
• Ability to lift 5 lbs. to a height of up to 6 feet, to push 75 lbs. a distance of 75 feet and lift 20 - 25 lbs. to a height of 3 feet. 
• Must be able to work in a wet, damp, dusty (chick down) environment.