“Money-wise, this is the best job I’ve ever worked.”

Are you seeking a rural working lifestyle that will challenge and reward you? Do you need some extra holiday cash to help with your studies? Are you travelling on a working holiday visa and looking for some farm work? Look no further than the boundless opportunities found on an Australian feedlot. 

A great way to gain experience

There are a wide range of jobs offered within feedlots, and the industry is growing by the day. It’s often the perfect stopgap for university students, travellers, and agricultural enthusiasts seeking diverse experience.

That was the case for Brandon, a then 20-year-old university student, when he first started working at a feedlot. 

“You spend the first few days in the truck with a senior staff member,” Brandon explains. 

No truck licence? No worries. 

“Because it’s a private property you don’t need an HR licence to drive the trucks.” 

Staff need to have strong attention to detail, be a quick learner and contribute to ensuring a safe workplace.

“You don’t want to fill up the wrong pen with feed because then you’ll have to shovel two tonnes of feed out of it.”

It’s rewarding in many way

Brandon said working at the feedlot has been the best job he’s ever had. 

“I’d worked at Maccas for three years before this and this is definitely easier than that. I love getting outside with the green grass and fat cattle, you can’t get much better than that.”

Feeding is just one component of work you can do at a feedlot as feedlots are made up of a number of different departments and teams, namely livestock, feeding and milling, maintenance and farming, and administration.

If you have an interest in agriculture, and need work experience with a good pay packet, a stint (or a career) in lot feeding could be for you.