Application
This unit applies those persons who harvest deer velvet. |
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
1. Prepare for velveting | 1.1. Facilities, materials and equipment to be used in velveting are checked to ensure that they are available, serviceable, set up and functioning correctly and will contribute to a safe, hygienic and stress free environment for animals and operators. 1.2. Veterinary supervision is arranged and appropriate drugs, equipment, emergency equipment and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) are made ready for use. 1.3. Animals selected for velveting are drafted and restrained according to animal welfare and occupational health and safety requirements. |
2. Harvest velvet | 2.1. Volume of analgesic or anaesthetic drug is determined for each animal and administered under supervision of attending veterinarian. 2.2. Antler is surgically removed under supervision of attending veterinarian and following National Velvet Accreditation Scheme (NVAS) requirements, using hygienic techniques and applying appropriate standards. 2.3. Human and animal emergency procedures are ready for implementation if required. 2.4. Work is conducted according to Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) procedures. 2.5. Information is collected during harvesting process for annual return/audit. 2.6. Velvet is tagged for identification and cross-referenced to the animal velveted to allow for full trace back. |
3. Complete harvesting process | 3.1. Animal is released into recovery area and monitored closely for adverse reactions, and appropriate action is taken as required. 3.2. Velveting area and equipment are cleaned and waste is disposed of according to organisational and OHS procedures. 3.3. Hazardous substances and used equipment are disposed of according to legislative requirements and codes of practice. 3.4. Equipment is stored, drug usage is recorded and remaining drugs are placed in a secure locked facility. 3.5. In the event of an animal's post-velveting death, industry procedures are followed. |
Required Skills
Required skills |
administering analgesics and anaesthetics under veterinary supervision complying with the NVAS and quality assurance program of the Deer Industry Association of Australia (DIAA) dealing with aggressive or difficult animals developing and maintaining a bona fide veterinarian-client working relationship handling and restraining animals implementing emergency response procedures such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) performing unassisted deer velveting under veterinary supervision recognising stress and pain in deer and their effect during velveting setting up and maintaining a clean work environment use literacy skills to fulfil job roles as required by the organisation. The level of skill may range from reading and understanding documentation to completion of written reports use oral communication skills/language competence to fulfil the job role as specified by the organisation including questioning, active listening, asking for clarification, negotiating solutions and responding to a range of views use numeracy skills to estimate, calculate and record complex workplace measures use interpersonal skills to work with others and relate to people from a range of cultural, social and religious backgrounds and with a range of physical and mental abilities. |
Required knowledge |
animal welfare legislation and issues definitions of, and requirements with respect to, veterinary supervision and legal responsibilities of deer producers and veterinarians drug legislation relating to deer velvet harvesting food safety requirements relating to drug residues and withholding periods, and the hygienic handling of velvet management of deer before and after velveting surgical velveting procedures NVAS and quality assurance program of the DIAA. |
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 | Selection and use of resources for some worksites may differ due to the regional or enterprise circumstances. 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. velvet unassisted a minimum of three deer under supervision of a registered veterinarian administer drugs to deer under supervision of a registered veterinarian manage deer effectively before and after velveting develop and maintain effective working relationships with a range of organisations operating in the deer industry. |
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. The candidate must also have access to the following resources: supervision by a registered veterinarian relevant legislation and industry codes of practice organisational policies and procedures facilities, materials and equipment for velveting normally available on a deer farm including access to: deer drug charts drugs and equipment for velveting biohazard sharps container record keeping system freezer and storage facilities for harvested velvet velvet grading chart grading equipment and NVAS tags. |
Range Statement
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. | |
Animals may include: | all breeds of deer covered by the NVAS and quality assurance program of the DIAA. |
Sectors
Unit sector | Deer |
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills. |
Licensing Information
Not Applicable