What Do Animal Scientists Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Animal Scientists conduct research in the genetics, nutrition, reproduction, growth, and development of domestic farm animals. They also study nutritional requirements of animals and nutritive values of animal feed materials.

Other tasks include:

• Advise producers about improved products and techniques that could enhance their animal production efforts.
• Develop improved practices in feeding, housing, sanitation, or parasite and disease control of animals.
• Write up or orally communicate research findings to the scientific community, producers, and the public.
• Study effects of management practices, processing methods, feed, or environmental conditions on quality and quantity of animal products, such as eggs and milk.
• Conduct research concerning animal nutrition, breeding, or management to improve products or processes.
• Research and control animal selection and breeding practices to increase production efficiency and improve animal quality.

We asked Animal Scientists how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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69% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 65% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Animal Scientists conduct research concerning animal nutrition, breeding, or management to improve products or processes. They study effects of management practices, processing methods, feed, or environmental conditions on quality and quantity of animal products, such as eggs and milk.

A typical day for an Animal Scientist will also include:

• Study nutritional requirements of animals and nutritive values of animal feed materials.
• Develop improved practices in feeding, housing, sanitation, or parasite and disease control of animals.
• Advise producers about improved products and techniques that could enhance their animal production efforts.
• Research and control animal selection and breeding practices to increase production efficiency and improve animal quality.
• Determine genetic composition of animal populations and heritability of traits, using principles of genetics.

We asked some Animal Scientists a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	88% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	28% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	78% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	13% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	0% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	16% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Animal Scientists also write up or orally communicate research findings to the scientific community, producers, and the public. They may also advise producers about improved products and techniques that could enhance their animal production efforts.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Animal Scientists Develop improved practices in feeding, housing, sanitation, or parasite and disease control of animals. They might also Study effects of management practices, processing methods, feed, or environmental conditions on quality and quantity of animal products, such as eggs and milk.

In addition, they Crossbreed animals with existing strains or cross strains to obtain new combinations of desirable characteristics.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Study nutritional requirements of animals and nutritive values of animal feed materials.

To some Animal Scientists, it is also their responsibility to Research and control animal selection and breeding practices to increase production efficiency and improve animal quality.

Working life

More than 40 hours per week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as an Animal Scientist, you can expect to work more than 40 hours per week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally..

They also like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/life-physical-and-social-science/agricultural-and-food-scientists.htm

https://www.asas.org/

http://www.arpas.org/

https://www.agronomy.org/