This unit applies to workers in livestock industries and is likely to be carried out with minimal supervision within enterprise guidelines.

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1. Prepare for care of newborn and young

1.1. Facilities, equipment and supplies needed to provide care are identified selected and prepared.

1.2. Needs of newborn and young animals are assessed and prepared.

1.3. Feeding routines are implemented and observed.

1.4. Hygiene, health and environmental requirements are identified and maintained according to enterprise and legislative requirements.

1.5. Newborn and young are appropriately identified and humanely handled as required according to enterprise requirements and industry standards.

2. Provide care for newborn and young

2.1. Feed and feed supplements are provided as required and according to enterprise and nutritional requirements.

2.2. Relationship between mother and young is monitored where appropriate and strategies are implemented to address any problems.

2.3. Feeding, water and shelter areas are maintained and monitored for correct operation, cleanliness and hygiene.

2.4. Routine health and feeding problems, including digestive upsets and infections, are treated promptly.

3. Monitor health of newborn and young

3.1. Newborn and young are monitored against benchmarks for growth, health and development.

3.2. Appropriate action is taken for sick, weak, orphaned and injured, newborn and young.

3.3. Assistance is sought for more complex health and feeding problems.

3.4. Newborn and young requiring routine husbandry and health procedures are separated, treated and returned.

3.5. Treatments and checks are carried out according to hygiene, enterprise, industry and legislative requirements.

4. Meet ongoing requirements

4.1. Young animals ready for weaning are identified and weaned according to enterprise procedures and weaning programs.

4.2. Feeding requirements are identified and met.

4.3. Animals are handled regularly as required.

4.4. Records are kept and updated to meet enterprise and legislative requirements.

4.5. All work is conducted safely and according to enterprise requirements, Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), industry and animal welfare regulations.

Required skills

identify hazards and implement safe work procedures

weigh and assess condition of newborn and young animals

work within animal welfare legislative requirements and enterprise and industry guidelines

identify abnormal conditions and report or react promptly

safely and humanely handle and care for newborn and young animals

recognise signs of stress or ill health in newborn and young animals

communicate with other personnel

provide support as needed to veterinarians attending to sick newborn and young animals

collect samples

identify the young and their parent

use feed, shelter and ventilation equipment

calculate feed and dose rates

use 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.

Required knowledge

newborn and young animals development and growth

newborn and young animals feed, shelter and environmental requirements

common deformities

infection controls and treatment programs (working knowledge)

significance of colostrum to livestock

feeding systems

shelter requirements

weaning strategies

husbandry procedures

hygiene and cleanliness requirements

relevant legislative animal welfare health and OHS requirements especially as they relate to safe animal handling techniques, feeding, animal treatments, and rearing and caring for newborn and young animals

enterprise requirements for rearing of newborn and young animals and recording and reporting requirements.

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 holistically all of the requirements of the performance criteria and required skills and knowledge and include achievement of the following:

weigh and assess condition of newborn and young animals

handle and care for newborn and young animals

recognise signs of stress or ill health in newborn and young animals

provide support as needed to veterinarians attending to sick newborn and young animals

wean animals humanely and provide the necessary feed and shelter.

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 range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole.

Livestock may include:

lambs

calves

kids

pigs (suckers)

alpacas (cria)

This standard does not cover foals and chickens.

Unit sector

Livestock

This unit contains employability skills.