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Follow the links below to find material targeted to the unit's elements, performance criteria, required skills and knowledge

Elements and Performance Criteria

1. Monitor ration and water levels
   • Source information on ration ingredients and composition from enterprise livestock production and/or feed plans
   • Assess ration levels, composition and consistency and identify potential production and health issues for different pens and classes of livestock
   • Identify strategies for removing wet, mouldy and fouled ration from bunks, and preventing livestock from access to unsuitable rations
   • Assess water quantity and quality to meet requirements of livestock
2. Inspect pen status and condition
   • Source information on pen group status from enterprise livestock production plan
   • Assess pen infrastructure, feed bunks, feed apron and water troughs together with animal feeding behaviour and identify performance and potential issues
   • Identify strategies to control leaking troughs, and prevent livestock from access to damaged pen or feeding areas
   • Assess pen surface conditions and behaviours of livestock in consideration of prevailing weather conditions
   • Identify strategies for adjusting stocking density, providing access to shade, modifying pen drainage, cleaning pen and modifying the ration
3. Assess manure condition
   • Assess manure consistency and colour as indicators of individual animal and herd health
   • Identify strategies for increasing roughage in ration, courser processing of grains and adjusting rations for sick animals
4. Check pen hygiene
   • Assess feed bunks, feed aprons and water troughs for fouling and unhygienic build-ups of waste
   • Identify strategies for resolving animal production and health issues, work health and safety concerns, and cleaning of pens to prevent odour and insect problems
5. Report and record incidents as required
   • Report incidents and problems to supervisor as required
   • Record and monitor effectiveness of strategies adopted

Range Statement

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Performance Evidence

The candidate must be assessed on their ability to integrate and apply the performance requirements of this unit in a workplace setting. Performance must be demonstrated consistently over time and in a suitable range of contexts.

The candidate must provide evidence that they can:

monitor ration and water levels and respond to issues as required

inspect pen status and condition and respond to issues as required

assess manure condition and respond as required

check pen hygiene and respond to issues as required

report and record incidents

communicate with work team and supervisors

implement relevant work health and safety, biosecurity, animal welfare and environmental protection requirements and practices

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Knowledge Evidence

The candidate must demonstrate knowledge of:

type of information on rations, water, housing infrastructure and feeding infrastructure that can be gathered from livestock production and feeding plans

principles and elements of nutrition and the impact of nutrition on livestock production

nutritional requirements of different livestock species, classes and life stages

impacts of poor nutrition and unsuitable rations on livestock production, and strategies to mitigate these impacts

how rations can be adjusted or modified to benefit sick animals

housing requirements and housing management of different livestock species, classes and life stages

feeding and water requirements, and feeding and water management of different livestock species, classes and life stages

impacts of unsuitable housing, feeding and watering infrastructure on livestock and strategies to mitigate these impacts

effects of weather on housing and feeding infrastructure and strategies to mitigate such effects

methods for using manure as assessment of livestock health

methods for maintaining, cleaning and removing waste from housing and feeding infrastructure

documentation, record keeping and methods for monitoring effectiveness of adopted strategies

relevant work health and safety, biosecurity, animal welfare and environmental protection requirements and practices

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