Purpose:
To manage and maintain the operations and resources of a Hatchery including all its equipment and skills requirements. To consistently optimise setting and hatching capacity to produce the best quality of chicks at the lowest cost. Capital Expenditure to be prioritised and managed to realise the full ROIC as well as managing an OPEX budget.
Requirements:
- Degree in Agriculture.
- Valid code EB driver’s license
- Minimum of 10 years’ experience in a similar environment
- Min of 5 years management experience in a commercial Hatchery environment.
- Project Management
- Computer Literate – Advanced.
Production Management
- Develop and implement policies and practices for the operation of the Hatchery to ensure attainment of goals and profitable operation.
- Conduct operational planning for future production including planning equipment and supply needs, production and work schedules
- Through the planning department, management of the egg-bank and chick placements including egg and chick sales.
- Direct and coordinate, through Assistant Hatchery manager and Foreman all hatchery activities.
- 100% grading, vaccinating and chick transportation.
- Ensure the highest standard fertile eggs are set to optimize chick production.
- Manage cold room stock and egg ages.
- Ensure the correct number of eggs are set per week as per the plan provided by the Agricultural Planner with consideration of broiler farm mortality trends and hatch forecast.
- Prepare hatching schedules for chicks considering such factors as planning targets and hatchery facilities and equipment
- All monitoring equipment to be calibrated frequently to ensure accuracy, to detect equipment malfunctions and to verify compliance with incubator temperature and ventilation standards
- Supervise the adjustment of controls to maintain specified incubating conditions
- Periodically inspect eggs in incubators to ascertain hatching progress, and hatch windows based on fertility and EST’s.
- Observe the chick holding areas and dispatching of chicks to verify adherence to animal welfare and environmental conditions for chick comfort.
- Supervise all operations relating to stock control, hygiene and cleaning, disinfection, and maintenance of incubators including structural and equipment compliance.
- Ensure that stand by electricity generators, water- and air-cooling systems, cold storerooms and compressors used in the production of quality day old chicks, are serviced, maintained and personal trained to operate these critical equipment are competent.
- Control the status of vaccines and the logistics associated with the vaccination syringes and the care of sterilizers, staff training on efficient and safe vaccination procedures and environmentally friendly waste disposal
- Plan, organize and manage the biosecurity and management practices for profitable production of quality chicks under safe and hygienic conditions
- Analyses of daily hatchery data and genetic/flock data on chicks hatched prior to any necessary operational adjustment’s changes.
- Analyse and prepare reports on hatchery activities, such as chick production
- Prepare reports on chick production and incubation parameters such as temperature, humidity, ventilation, turning and controlling the stock and cold storage of vaccines
- Ensure that the ventilation, pressure controls, lighting systems, boilers, AHU’s, Chillers, generators, compressors are operational at all times to mitigate any risk to production output
- Ensure the submission of samples to the laboratory (blood, water, dust, mortality and feed) as required by best operating practices to enable proactive management of potential health issues
- Manage the vaccination process to ensure immunizations and vaccinations are done in time and according to the RPM, BOP and veterinary specifications (VCP)
- Ensure that hygiene standards are maintained through fumigation in accordance with BOP
Information, data management and reporting
- Use relevant information from Agric database and MTech to analyze and assist in decision making, troubleshooting.
- Prepare weekly Actuals vs Budget, KPI trends and forecast.
- Ensure all checks are performed and recorded on the correct documents daily.
- Conduct weekly review meetings with Hatchery Foreman and the Maintenance foreman / manager.
- Report on flock performances weekly, namely, fertility, egg weights, egg hygiene, shell quality, chick quality, chick weights, break-out analysis.
- Report all variances in relation to breed standards egg numbers, quality of eggs and fertility, hatchability, culls, early, mid, late deaths.
Budget and cost control
- Provide input into and utilize the financial budget optimally
- Ensure the hatchery meets budgetary targets by working within the agreed financial boundaries
- Manage immoveable and moveable operational assets to ensure optimal usage in line with best production practice
- Provide input into annual CAPEX requirements and implement approved CAPEX programmes
- Motivate required CAPEX and major maintenance projects
- Manage fixed and loose assets
- Take accountability for buying and stores requisitions
- Manage key and cost control
- Oversee diesel and gas control is utilized optimally
- Manage the staff housing registers.
Administration
- Ensure all daily incubation data are captured and analyzed accurately and promptly into the information system and any deviations reported immediately to the Regional Executive.
- Place and follow up on orders well in advance of potential risk & shortages.
- Ensure that daily, weekly and monthly reports are comprehensive and submitted on time to enable effective decision-making and proactive trend analysis
- Ensure that daily utility meter readings (water/gas/electricity/diesel & reservoir levels) are recorded, trended and communicated to the relevant administration clerk.
- Ensure that immovable and movable asset registers are updated monthly and all investments /completed capex projects are capitalized on time.
Team supervision
- With support from HR, L & D, Operations Manager and the Regional Agricultural Executive, ensure continuous upskilling and drive development across all departments.
- Monitor and support the activities of the team to ensure production targets are achieved including OFH ( ON FARM HATCHING).
- Coach and support team members where necessary achieve individual hatchery and strategic objectives
- Manage leave and general time management issues, overtime, in line with company policy
- Authorize all time sheets and attendance registers daily.
- Authorize leave applications.
- Comply with employment equity legislation within the team to ensure inclusivity across all levels and statutory targets and requirements are achieved.
- Implement training and development plans for the team as agreed with the Regional Agricultural Executive.
- Manage the employee relations climate and ensure corrective action is taken where required in line with legislation and company policy
- Chair or initiate disciplinary hearings as needed according to RPM standards
- Conduct regular performance appraisals with subordinates and ensure that the process is cascaded throughout the hatchery team
Bio-Security Management
- Ensure that protective clothing is always available and clean for staff and visitors
- Ensure that staff and visitors always shower when entering and exiting
- Ensure that all material that enters and leaves the site are fumigated.
- Apply all other bio-security standards in accordance with BOP and the RPM
- Ensure that effective rodent control measures are in place.
- The hatchery is cleaned, washed and sanitized daily, grounds are maintained weekly, fence lines are secured and clear of any waste and debris, drains on site are cleared, disinfected and kept clean daily, all waste and debris removed from the site and buildings on site are well maintained including CCTV systems.
- Ensure that all security procedures are adhered to and that access doors and gates are always locked to prevent unauthorized and unmonitored access.
- Hatchery budget vs expenditure