Livestock Assessment Welfare & Handling

This course aims to give participants the skills to accurately describe livestock (beef and dairy cattle, sheep and goats, horses) using livestock assessment techniques and animal welfare score descriptors. To use and understand accepted terminology in regards to animal body condition and in particular where animal welfare is an issue. To have the skills to describe in nutritional terms the available feed in a paddock.

At the conclusion of the training program the participants will be able to:

1. Identify and locate th following points on a live animal: pin bone, rump, short ribs, stifle joint, brisket
2. Use the fat scoring system in cattle (beef and dairy) sheep and goats to class animals into different groups
3. Use the muscle scoring system in cattle to identify animals of different muscle score
4. Perform a risk assessment on a set of handling facilities to determine their adequacy for use
5. Draft animals into groups based on their animal welfare classification
6. Identify some major breeds of beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep and goats
7. Understand the basic requirements for NLIS in sheep/goats and cattle.

Additional information on pastures, photographs and water accessibility will be provided, however this will not be tested as it does not form part of this competency.

• identify grasses and legumes
• understand the importance of dry matter availability and quality and describe how to assess both components
• understand how to go about determining water availability/quality

Day 1

Starts with theory in the morning, discussing legislation and OH&S. The morning is then broken up into a practical assessment session in the yards on OH&S. Participants then learn about the theory of live animal assessment (fat and muscle scoring, dentition, breeds and classes) in all species and the day finishes with a practical session on live animal assessment and pasture and water assessment.

Day 2

Discussions on common health issues seen in stock and transporting stock and some revision of livestock assessment and handling is discussed in the yards before morning tea. After morning tea, the final written assessment is completed by participants, as well as final evaluations of modules. Session will finish by lunchtime.

Participants receive course notes and manual.

This course is delivered using indoor and out door instruction.

This course has been mapped to the national unit of competency AHCLSK308A - Identify and draft livestock.