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Elements and Performance Criteria

1. Prepare animals for mating
   • Male and female animals to be mated are selected according to stud's mating plan.
   • Condition of animals selected for mating is accurately determined and body scores are recorded according to recognised industry practices.
   • Nutritional program is adjusted where required and monitored to produce optimum condition for mating.
   • Where females are over-fleeced, preparations are made to ensure that tail and vulva area are clean and free of fleece.
   • Animals are checked for any signs of infection or other reason not to proceed with the planned mating and remedial action is taken as appropriate.
2. Facilitate mating
   • Receptive females are identified according to industry practice.
   • Paddock or pen mating areas are secure and provide access for handlers during joining.
   • Mating procedures and handling techniques are used that minimise stress and discomfort to animals and meet Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) and animal welfare requirements.
   • Pen mating is supervised and, when required, intervention is undertaken or obtained to maximise conception rates.
3. Complete mating procedures
   • Pregnancy testing is undertaken or commissioned at earliest opportunity to identify pregnancy status of animals and suitable action is taken as required.
   • Records of mating are recorded accurately, legibly and according to enterprise and industry requirements.

Required Skills

Required skills

identifying hazards and implementing safe operating procedures accurately scoring alpaca condition assisting with ultrasonography andor blood collection if requested by professional service providers cleaning up work site and safely disposing of waste communicating effectively with other team members and veterinarians conducting a spit off employing safe work practices supervising alpaca mating and assisting as appropriate use literacy skills to read interpret and follow organisational policies and procedures follow sequenced written instructions record accurately and legible information collected and select and apply procedures for a range of tasks use numeracy skills to estimate calculate and record routine workplace measures use interpersonal skills to work with and relate to people from a range of cultural social and religious backgrounds and with a range of physical and mental abilities

Required knowledge

alpaca handling and assisted joining techniques alpaca health and abnormalities alpaca movement and behavioural characteristics anatomy and physiology of male and female alpaca reproductive systems enterprise and industry identification system for alpaca enterprise and industry policies regarding recording and reporting routines for matings female and male body conditioning through nutrition programs Johnes disease status mating procedures mobile mating procedures Personal Protective Equipment PPE and when and how it should be used pregnancy testing techniques including detection of ovulation relevant state and territory animal welfare legislation and codes of practice relevant state and territory legislation regulations and codes of practice with regard to workplace OHS

Evidence Required

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
Overview of assessment
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit	The evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to workplace operations and satisfy holistically all of the requirements of the performance criteria and required skills and knowledge and include achievement of the following monitor the condition of female and male alpacas recognise ovulation and detect oestrus in females supervise mating conduct and commission pregnancy tests identify and implement action required as a result of pregnancy tests
Context of and specific resources for assessment	Competency requires the application of work practices under work conditions Selection and use of resources for some worksites may differ due to the regional or enterprise circumstances

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Range Statement

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole.
Types may include:	mating and monitoring reproduction in all types and strains of alpacas.

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