Elements and Performance Criteria

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

What
Disease may be influenced by management practices such as wild bird exclusion, vaccination, maintaining bait stations for rodents, replacing sanitisers in footbaths, laundering protective clothing, maintaining truck and other vehicle wash facilities, maintaining fencing, and maintaining personal hygiene.

What
Disorders affecting livestock may include vitamin/mineral deficiencies.
These may be managed by supplementing diet, cutting toenails, trimming teeth, trimming fleece from eye area.

When should
Routine post mortems should be performed on freshly dead birds or animals and culls.

What practices can
Welfare may be influenced by management practices such as handling of livestock, water suitable for their needs, food appropriate for the physiological requirements of livestock, vaccination, and prevailing weather conditions.

What does
It involves accommodation, group sizes, stocking rates, temperature, ventilation, sick bay access and access to food, water and shade

What
It involves spray cooling, heating and ventilation.

What are the
Hazards might include:
accidental infection of skin lacerations by employees handling livestock
accidental inoculation or stabbing with needles or scalpels
accidental poisoning or burning with hygiene agents
cleaning areas above head level
killed vaccines may cause severe tissue reactions in humans if accidentally injected.
These may be eliminated or minimised through:
safe operating procedures
safe manual handling systems and procedures
safe systems and procedures for outdoor work including protection from solar radiation
selection, use and maintenance of relevant personal protective equipment
safe and environmentally correct disposal of unused prepared chemicals or medications, sharps and other contaminated items
protocols for notification of needle stick injuries.

What
This may include boots, helmet, overalls, gloves, protective eyewear, hearing protection, respirator or face mask, and sun protection (sun hat, sunscreen).

What should be
Applied chemicals should be cleaned, complex equipment should be dismantled and re-assembled to assess areas to be cleaned, routine cleaning programs should be performed such as sweeping, dusting and vacuuming, washing amenities and facilities including protective clothing, hand basins, toilets, showers, offices, dusting superstructure, and cleaning air filters and ducts.

What is involved in
It involves the hygiene of amenities and facilities, fly control and tidiness, sweeping, dusting in all work areas, lawn and environment maintenance, and checking incoming equipment for cleanliness (such as hatchery fillers).

What determines
In the case of emergency disease outbreaks, legislative requirements will dictate the quarantine and control strategies that must be implemented. Some sheds draw product and materials from several locations and can spread disease back to organisations if equipment is not cleaned adequately to Biosecurity Code.

What
Such agents as vaccines, sprays, medicated feed and water, nutrient drenches and injections, antibiotics and therapeutic drugs.

What
Pests and vermin may include flies, other insects, birds and other vertebrate pests such as mice, rats, feral cats, foxes and dogs.

What
Medications include vaccines, antibiotics and other prescribed medicines.

Routine prevention procedures
Administration of vitamins A,D&E, selenium supplements, drenches or injections for internal and external parasites, vaccinations etc

What
Vaccination is carried out by several methods, depending on the disease, including injection, water, spraying, and stabbing.

How must
Vaccine types change and have critical storage requirements if potency is to be assured. In addition it should be noted that vaccine schedules are critical in preventing uncontrolled outbreaks.

What is involved when
It involves selecting suitable holding pens, catching livestock when not in pens using suitable equipment, holding livestock, responsibility of assessing livestock by monitoring signs, and taking corrective action when the stress due to close confinement is excessive.

Why is
Sample collection is often a result of verbal instructions from employer, unit manager or veterinary staff. Samples required for disease diagnosis may vary depending upon the disease and livestock type or breed.

What is required to enable
Swabs and samples for laboratory testing are collected and packed, as required, including blood and tissue together with routine swabs.

How is treatment of
The primary cause of disease may be difficult to detect and the symptoms are often treated. Treatments may include vaccination, medicating water, adding medication to feed, and euthanasia.

What
Dates, times and periods of operation and maintenance, livestock numbers, chemicals and other substances used including quantities and methods, and readings from temperature and flow-rate gauges.

How might information be
Record keeping systems used may be either paper-based or digital, and information will be recorded into logbooks or other records.

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.
What evidence is required to demonstrate competence for this unit as a whole?
Competence in maintaining health of livestock requires evidence that livestock remain at optimum health, and that outbreaks of disease are minimised through the effective use of hygiene and quarantine procedures. Competence in maintaining welfare of livestock requires evidence that livestock are looked after and that problems are minimised through effective use of livestock knowledge and handling skills.
The skills and knowledge required to maintain good health and welfare of livestock must be

What processes should be applied to this unit of competency?
There are a number of processes that are learnt throughout work and life that are required in all jobs. They are fundamental processes and generally transferable to other work functions. Some of these are covered by the
How can communication of ideas and information (1) be applied?
In interpreting and clarifying the work that is to be done, and the specific requirements that there are for a particular situation.
How can information be collected, analysed and organised (2)?
In working with information that details feed amounts and times of feeding, medication records, livestock losses, stocking rates, shed temperatures, and other details critical to the health and welfare of the livestock.
How are activities planned and organised (2)?
In preparing to administer medications according to the schedules provided.
How can team work be applied(2)?
When working alongside other operators to ensure that required team outcomes are achieved.
How can the use of mathematical ideas and techniques (1) be applied?
In calculating ratios, percentages and amounts required when dealing with medications and other chemical compounds.
How can problem-solving skills (1) be applied?
In providing an optimal environment including temperature control and ventilation rates. Also to ensure that stocking rates for the season are adjusted appropriately.
How can the use of technology (1) be applied?
In measuring and calculating amounts required when dealing with either medications or cleaning compounds.

Are there other units of competency that could be assessed with this one?
This unit of competency could be assessed on its own or in combination with other competencies relevant to the job function.
There is essential information about