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Elements and Performance Criteria

1. Prepare for pregnancy testing
   • Prepare physical resources, human resources and relevant documentation for pregnancy testing
   • Muster, yard and safely restrain animals in compliance with work health and safety, animal welfare and workplace procedures
   • Draft animals to be tested according to breeding or management program requirements
2. Arrange support for pregnancy testing
   • Assemble pregnancy testing supplies and equipment for the operators
   • Separate and restrain individual animals for veterinary treatment or examination
   • Undertake all handling and testing of animals with strict adherence to animal welfare codes of practice
   • Complete records of pregnancy testing operations in line with established procedures and report outcomes to management as required
3. Carry out manual pregnancy diagnosis procedures
   • Identify work health and safety hazards, assess risks and implement suitable controls while working with animals
   • Fit and use personal protective equipment in compliance with biosecurity and personal hygiene requirements
   • Humanely restrain individual animals for testing and check individual breeding records
   • Clean rectal area of animal prior to examination
   • Humanely and safely carry out rectal examination/palpation to establish pregnancy or non-pregnancy
   • Implement strict hygiene procedures between pregnancy testing individual animals in compliance with animal welfare and biosecurity requirements
   • Record identities and relevant details of animals tested
   • Observe and record other indicators of animal health for input to herd health management
4. Carry out post pregnancy testing procedures
   • Accurately identify animals diagnosed as pregnant or not pregnant
   • Consign all animals to their destination or return them to paddocks/pens in line with workplace requirements
   • Dispose of biological waste, debris and veterinary medicine waste in compliance with work health and safety, biosecurity and environmental requirements
   • Carry out regular monitoring of animals post pregnancy testing to detect post-testing complications

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:

plan and prepare for pregnancy testing coordinate and arrange support for pregnancy testing

arrange support for pregnancy testing

draft animals and source information on joining to assist in pregnancy testing

restrain animals for pregnancy testing using humane methods and facilities

carry out manual pregnancy diagnosis procedures in adherence with animal welfare codes

monitor animals after pregnancy testing

maintain records of pregnancy testing

apply relevant animal welfare requirements

implement relevant work health and safety animal welfare and biosecurity requirements and practices

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Knowledge Evidence

The candidate must demonstrate knowledge of:

relevant anatomy and physiology of the animal species

reproductive physiology and pregnancy development of the animal species

husbandry and management strategies for pregnant and non-pregnant animals

pregnancy testing methods

reproductive diseases and complications in the animal species

relevant work health and safety, animal welfare and biosecurity legislation, codes of practice and industry and enterprise policies

recording and reporting systems used in conjunction with pregnancy diagnosis and animal breeding programs.

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