Select and breed animals according to their genealogy, characteristics, and offspring. May require knowledge of artificial insemination techniques and equipment use. May involve keeping records on heats, birth intervals, or pedigree.
U.S. Workers
1,730
Median Salary
$52,000
10-Year Growth
+2.4%
Annual Openings
1,200
Typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
24 of 24 tasks have some AI capability
Exposure Trend
This score reflects estimated AI technical capability for tasks in this occupation. It does not predict employment changes, and it does not account for company-specific constraints, regulation, or adoption barriers.
Feed and water animals, and clean and disinfect pens, cages, yards, and hutches.
AI: Fully automatable - Automated feeders, watering systems, cleaning robots, and IoT controls already perform routine feeding, watering, and disinfection in many operations.
Arrange for sale of animals and eggs to hospitals, research centers, pet shops, and food processing plants.
AI: Fully automatable - Marketplaces, CRM, automated matching, contract generation, and logistics scheduling can largely automate arranging sales and deliveries to institutions and processors.
Select animals to be bred, and semen specimens to be used, according to knowledge of animals, genealogies, traits, and desired offspring characteristics.
AI: Fully automatable - Genomic selection, pedigree analysis, and AI-driven breeding optimization are mature enough to select animals and semen specimens according to traits and desired outcomes.
Adjust controls to maintain specific building temperatures required for animals' health and safety.
AI: Fully automatable - Climate control systems with AI can fully manage building temperatures to meet specific animal health and safety setpoints.
Maintain logs of semen specimens used and animals bred.
AI: Fully automatable - Electronic record systems and AI can fully maintain, audit, and organize logs of semen specimens and breeding records.
Record animal characteristics such as weights, growth patterns, and diets.
AI: Fully automatable - Automated scales, sensors, and farm-management software routinely record weights, growth metrics, and feeding data without manual entry.
Prepare containers of semen for freezing and storage or shipment, placing them in dry ice or liquid nitrogen.
AI: Fully automatable - Laboratory robotics and automated cryostorage systems can reliably prepare and place semen into dry ice or liquid nitrogen under controlled conditions.
Package and label semen to be used for artificial insemination, recording information such as the date, source, quality, and concentration.
AI: Fully automatable - Packaging, labeling, and digital recording (including date, source, quality, concentration) are standard lab automation tasks that AI systems can fully perform.
Measure specified amounts of semen into calibrated syringes, and insert syringes into inseminating guns.
AI: Fully automatable - Automated liquid‑handling systems and packaging robots combined with computer control can accurately measure and load biological samples into syringes and place them into inseminating devices in controlled settings.
Examine semen microscopically to assess and record density and motility of gametes, and dilute semen with prescribed diluents, according to formulas.
AI: Fully automatable - Computer vision can quantify sperm density and motility from microscope images and laboratory liquid‑handling robots can perform formulaic dilution and recording tasks reliably in controlled labs.
Observe animals in heat to detect approach of estrus and exercise animals to induce or hasten estrus, if necessary.
AI: Partial - Computer vision and wearable sensors can reliably detect estrus, but physically exercising or inducing estrus still usually requires human or animal handling.
Place vaccines in drinking water, inject vaccines, or dust air with vaccine powder to protect animals from diseases.
AI: Partial - AI can control automated water-medication systems and monitor dosing, but cannot reliably perform individual injections or aerosol applications across varied animals and settings.
Treat minor injuries and ailments and contact veterinarians to obtain treatment for animals with serious illnesses or injuries.
AI: Partial - AI can triage, diagnose some minor ailments, and contact veterinarians, but hands-on treatment and complex medical care still require human/veterinary intervention.
Purchase and stock supplies of feed and medicines.
AI: Partial - Procurement, inventory tracking, and automated ordering are mature, but physical receipt and on-site stocking of supplies often remain manual.
Bathe and groom animals.
AI: Partial - Automated bathing and grooming devices exist for some species and tasks, but full grooming across sizes and temperaments remains largely manual.
Examine animals to detect symptoms of illness or injury.
AI: Partial - Sensors and computer vision detect many visible or behavioral signs of illness, but full clinical examination (palpation, auscultation, etc.) still requires humans or veterinarians.
Exercise animals to keep them in healthy condition.
AI: Partial - AI-driven enrichment devices, automated herding tools, and treadmills can provide exercise, but cannot fully replicate tailored exercise programs and hands-on supervision for all animals.
Build hutches, pens, and fenced yards.
AI: Partial - Design, planning, and some prefabrication can be automated, but construction of hutches, pens, and fenced yards is still largely manual or requires general-purpose machinery.
Brand, tattoo, or tag animals to allow animal identification.
AI: Partial - Electronic ID systems and automated tagging exist for processing lines, but branding and tattooing remain manual and universal automated solutions are not widespread.
Inject prepared animal semen into female animals for breeding purposes, by inserting nozzle of syringe into vagina and depressing syringe plunger.
AI: Partial - Robotic assistive devices exist, but AI cannot yet reliably perform delicate intra-vaginal insemination across diverse animals without human supervision and handling.
Clip or shear hair on animals.
AI: Partial - Mechanical shears and automated clipping systems can handle routine hair removal for some animals, but complex shearing and handling tasks still require human skill.
Attach rubber collecting sheaths to genitals of tethered bull and stimulate animal's organ to induce ejaculation.
AI: Partial - Semen collection from bulls involves unpredictable behavior and sensitive physical interaction that current AI/robotics can only partially support and not fully automate safely.
Exhibit animals at shows.
AI: Partial - AI can assist with selection, training, scheduling and presentation guidance but cannot reliably perform the full, real‑world animal handling, social interaction and on‑the‑spot judgement required to exhibit animals at shows.
Perform procedures such as animal dehorning or castration.
AI: Partial - Robotic assistance and image guidance can support dehorning/castration but fully autonomous performance of invasive, pain‑managed animal procedures is not widely feasible or accepted by 2025.