Google Links

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 and assess animal health
   • Conduct regular observations to assess animals' health
   • Recognise and report symptoms of ill health and common diseases or parasite infestations
   • Carry out sampling and arrange testing for internal parasites or diseases where required
   • Refer unusual or suspected exotic disease outbreaks for veterinary advice in line with biosecurity legislation and enterprise policies
   • Report notifiable diseases and comply with all restrictions and treatment requirements
   • Record animal health status
   • Identify work health and safety hazards, assess risks and implement and monitor suitable controls
   • Select, use and maintain appropriate hygiene measures and suitable personal protective equipment (PPE)
   • Monitor and record animal welfare status in line with enterprise and legislative requirements
   • Dispose of deceased animals according to environmental policies
2. Implement preventative health strategies
   • Identify risks to animal health, and source strategies, from the production plan, relevant expert or specialist consultant where applicable
   • Develop and implement a vaccination program to control clostridial and other diseases
   • Identify livestock prone to internal parasite build up and plan out the timing of treatments
   • Implement or research pest and disease control strategies based around pasture spelling and rotations of different classes of livestock
   • Plan the health treatments for animals using an integrated approach
   • Use drenches, vaccines and other stock medications according to manufacturer instructions and comply with withholding periods
   • Rotate drench groups to minimise the risk of parasite resistance
3. Record and review the animal health program
   • Record all treatments and maintain an inventory of stock medicines
   • Record health issues and record the results of tissue, organ and blood samples if applicable
   • Use records of health tests and animal health treatments, including animal production records, to review the animal health plan

Range Statement

---

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:

identify hazards, assess risks and implement and monitor safe work practices and appropriate hygiene procedures

monitor the health and wellbeing of animals

detect possibility of disease through parameters such as loss of bodyweight behaviour or length of time required to eat food

recognise clinical symptoms (normal vs. abnormal)

recognise abnormal physiological and behavioural signs in livestock

collect samples for testing for internal parasites and diseases

implement preventative health strategies

administer vaccines and medications to animals

maintain records associated with animal health programs

implement relevant biosecurity and animal welfare practices

---

Knowledge Evidence

The candidate must demonstrate knowledge of:

symptoms of common livestock diseases and parasite infestations

storage conditions for a range of chemicals, including veterinary chemicals

types of vaccines and how they work

zoonotic diseases and their mode of transmission

animal anatomy and physiology relevant to the collection of tissue, organ, blood and other biological samples in live and dead animals and the conduct of post-mortems

relevant biosecurity requirements

management practices and processes to minimise noise, odours, and debris from the livestock operations

relevant legislation, regulations and codes of practice relating to the use of veterinary medicines, animal diseases, animal welfare and waste and environmental management,

relevant work health and safety legislation, regulations and codes of practice

---