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 all of the requirements of the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge and the range statement of this unit. Assessors should ensure that candidates can:

assess alternative strategies and confirm key indicators for the use of DOT procedures in consultation with cattle manager

understand optimal conditions for carrying out DOT procedures

conduct pre-operative evaluation of cattle submitted for ovary dropping and risk assessment in consultation with cattle manager

prepare appropriate sites, facilities and equipment in line with infection control, workplace health and safety and animal welfare standards including pain management in accordance with legislative requirements

follow low-stress stock mustering, movement and handling procedures

carry out DOT procedures in accordance with industry recognised best practice DOT procedure and processing rates, impediment remedial actions and hygiene standards

communicate post-spay management requirements to cattle manager

accurately document and maintain appropriate records

The skills and knowledge required to conduct DOT procedure for spaying cattle must be transferable to a range of work environments and contexts and include the ability to deal with unplanned events.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment for this unit is to be practical in nature and will be most appropriately assessed in an on-farm workplace situation with access to appropriate female cattle, facilities and equipment to enable one to demonstrate competence.

Method of assessment

To ensure consistency of performance, competency must be demonstrated to industry recognised standards, over a number of assessment activities, taking into account appropriate processing rates, procedural impediment remedial actions and hygiene standards.

Assessment must take place over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances, cases and responsibilities.

The assessment strategies must include practical skills assessment. Suggested strategies for this unit are:

written and/or oral assessment of candidate's required knowledge

observed, documented and firsthand testimonial evidence of candidate's application of practical tasks

simulation exercises that reproduce normal work conditions

portfolio records that provide evidence of practical skills

This unit may be assessed in a holistic way with other units of competency relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role.

Guidance information for assessment

Assessment methods should reflect workplace demands (e.g. literacy and numeracy demands) and the needs of particular target groups (e.g. people with disabilities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, people with a language background other than English, youth and people from low socioeconomic backgrounds).

This section describes the skills and knowledge required for this unit

Required skills include:

Ability to:

apply effective cattle identification techniques

apply effective ovarian palpation techniques

apply a high degree of skill in transrectal ovarian manipulation

apply 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

clean, disinfect and maintain equipment to ensure efficient and safe working standards

communicate effectively with others, including questioning, active listening, asking for clarification and consulting with or seeking advice as required

comply with animal welfare legislation, animal welfare standards and guidelines, State and Territory veterinary surgeons’ or practitioners’ legislation and regulations and relevant codes of conduct

employ safe, humane and environmentally responsible systems and procedures when working with and handling livestock

follow sequenced written instructions

record information collected accurately and legibly

maintain the highest standards of hygiene and infection control at all times to reduce the risk of infection and cross-infection

consider zoonotic and exotic disease possibilities (biosecurity)

operate equipment effectively and with due consideration to the potential hazards associated with using equipment on cattle

use numeracy skills to estimate, calculate and record routine workplace measures

use safe manual handling techniques and equipment

use safe, hygienic and environmentally friendly waste handling and disposal procedures

work as a member of a team

Required knowledge includes:

Knowledge of:

alternative options available to control fertility in cows

Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Cattle (handling and management)

basic reproductive anatomy of the cow and stages of pregnancy diagnosis

body condition score (BCS) system for cattle

basic cattle nutrition and husbandry

cattle crush design and safety requirements

disinfectant label and relevant Material Safety Data Sheet formats

grazing industry biosecurity manual and related strategies

guidelines for the proper selection and management of cattle for ovariectomy

industry recognised best practice DOT procedure and processing rates

relevant legislation, regulations and codes of practice, including those relating to WHS, animal welfare, veterinary practitioner/surgeons’ Acts, stock diseases and waste disposal

principles of animal welfare

safe operating procedures for use of all equipment including veterinary crush, ovariotome, earmarking and ear tagging pliers

weather and other conditions and impacts on safe and effective DOT operations

workplace hygiene standards including: disinfectants, cleaning agents and techniques, cleaning and appropriate disinfection of equipment and materials

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.

Alternatives to ovariectomy (spaying) for management of heifers and cows may include:

lot feeding

alternative selling options

breeder segregation

heifer-safe paddocks

bull removal

pregnancy diagnosis of heifers by veterinarians or accredited testers, with on-selling of empty heifers

use of prostaglandins for heifers that are less than 4 months gestation prior to transport to a feedlot/live export depot

therapeutic pregnancy control when available

Pre-operative evaluation of cattle submitted for ovary dropping should include:

selection of cattle that are:

surplus wet cows and heifers

at least 4 weeks postpartum

preferably well handled

accustomed to being worked in yards and races

empty or early pregnant (less than 4 months gestation)

strong and present with a good BCS (greater than 2.5 out of 5)

generally at or above a 180kg live weight (lower limit)

not affected by heavy tick burdens

not scheduled for dehorning within 4 weeks before or after spaying

feed only curfewed for a minimum of 12 hours prior to the procedure but have continuous access to water

identifying animals showing signs of disease, weakness or emaciation which should not be spayed by any technique

Risks associated with DOT procedures may include:

fractious animals and those with poor temperaments

animals with poor BCS

extreme environmental conditions, for example: heat, cold, rain

operator limitations for example: fatigue, hand size, lack of experience

anaemia due to heavy worm or tick burdens

pneumorectum (sucking air into the rectum)

lack of feed curfew

water curfew, dehydration

poor equipment, yards and other necessary infrastructure

inadequate spelling facilities

Where such risks exist, it is recommended that the overall risks be assessed and risk mitigation put in place in the interests of animal welfare. In some cases the situation will be significant enough to be unmanageable and require deferral of the procedure.

Weather conditions

Weather conditions for operations should be a fine, mild day.

Weather conditions to be avoided include:

excessively hot conditions which can increase bleeding and stress on cattle

cold weather conditions which place additional stress on cattle

wet or dusty conditions which increase the risk of contamination

Equipment may include:

Essential equipment for performing DOT includes:

cattle crush and race

ovariotomes x 3 sizes (heifer, cow and large cow) plus spares

disinfectant and wash buckets preferably with a lid to reduce dust contamination

chlorhexidine or centrimide disinfectant

shoulder-length gloves

lubricant

overalls/aprons

safety boots and glasses

earmarking pliers

ear tagging pliers and tags

diamond sharpener

paper towelling

Extra equipment may include:

table and chair

knives

waterbottle/pannikin

counter

electric prodder (use should be kept to a minimum)

hat/sunscreen

Cattle crush must include:

a rear kick gate featuring:

a recommended average height of 800mm

the gap between the bottom of the kick gate and the floor of the crush and the bottom of the side gate and the floor of the crush should be no more than 20 mms

side gates that are sheeted or closely railed up to 1 metre

head bail

solid non-slip floor

squeeze

a wide area that is dust and mud free around the crush

effective protection for operators from cattle in same yard as crush

Animal welfareconsiderations will include:

complying with relevant legislation, regulations concerned with:

animal welfare (eg. Australian Animal Welfare Standards for Cattle (handling and management)

the prevention of cruelty to animals

adopting best practice recommendations as relevant in the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Cattle (handling and management) and in industry documents such as:

industry codes of practice

industry standards and protocols

WHS standards may include:

applying appropriate manual handling techniques when handling loads, including livestock and equipment

following safe operating procedures for:

cleaning, disinfecting and sharpening instruments

following personal and workplace hygiene procedures

hazard identification and risk minimisation, including handling, use, storage, transport and disposal of chemicals and handling and disposal of biological wastes

livestock catching, handling, controlling and restraining methods

using materials and equipment in accordance with manufacturers’ instructions

using infection control procedures to minimise risks associated with:

zoonotic diseases

release of infective agents (both animal and human)

chemical spillage

using personal protective equipment (PPE) including:

clothing of a protective nature

eye protection

gloves

items for sun and other protection

safety footwear and leg protection

surgical mask

A high standard of hygiene will require:

equipment to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before initial use, between procedures and each time they are changed for cleaning and sharpening

disinfectant to be used in accordance with label instructions (MSDS)

appropriate reprocessing of reusable equipment

personal hygiene practices especially washing and drying hands (e.g. before and after animal contact)

safe handling and disposal of clinical, related and general waste

surface cleaning and management of blood and bodily fluid spills

techniques to limit contamination

use of personal protective equipment

Common DOT procedural impediments may include, but are not limited to:

excessive animal movement

the head of the ovariotome becoming caught in vaginal folds and deep vaginas

difficulty in penetrating the vaginal wall

the head of the ovariotome becoming caught in broad ligament (membrane obstructions)

pneumorectum (wind sucking, ballooning of the rectum)

difficulty locating one ovary or both ovaries after the ovariotome is in place

difficulty severing the ovary

small intestinal entanglement in the spay tool

DOT procedures include:

administration of pain relief, where available

appropriate restraint of the cow, avoiding where possible the use of electro-immobilisation as a form of restraint for the procedure (only to be used when beneficial to the health and wellbeing of the animal and/or the operator)

a gloved hand being inserted in the rectum to manipulate the reproductive tract

the ovariotome being introduced into the vagina and placed against the vaginal wall above the cervix

the vaginal wall being pierced with the spearhead end and the ovariotome passed into the abdomen

each ovary then being manipulated per rectum and placed in the oval hole of the ovariotome

each ovary then being cut off by a slow backward pull on the ovariotome which draws the ovary into the cutting slot

Identification earmarks or ear tags requirements include:

completed spay

incomplete spay

untoward event; should a mishap occur this needs to be identified that may require veterinary referral or humane euthanasia

Post-spay management requirements include:

monitoring spayed cattle for a minimum of three days after the procedure for indications of complications such as: pain, haemorrhage, rectal perforation, intestinal lacerations, sepsis

identifying situations requiring veterinary referral or humane euthanasia

providing appropriate treatment for complications which may include antibiotics, analgesia, supportive care or euthanasia

avoiding using paddocks with no shelter, little feed, or long distances to walk to water

moving spayed cattle gently and calmly and avoiding walking them long distances (more than 5km) to paddocks

familiarising cattle with a watering point

avoiding forced walks or trucking long distances for approximately 10 days after the procedure

organising/conducting post-mortems in deceased animals to determine the cause of death for continuous improvement of the technique

Documentation and records may include:

accurate animal counts

earmark and tagging system identifying spayed animal and operator

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs)