Interested in a simple Skills Scan and Learning Progress Tracker tool for the Livestock unit technician standard?
Knowledge
K1: Health and Safety processes and practices relevant to livestock management. This includes development and implementation of health and safety plans and risk assessments; health and safety for self and visitors, biosecurity and infrastructure requirements.
K2: The digestive process of commonly farmed livestock (cattle (beef and dairy), pigs, sheep and goats) and how this can be managed by nutritional support.
K3: The legal and operational aspects of livestock record keeping and the importance of maintaining and reporting on such systems (both written and digitally).
K4: Breeding and production cycles for commonly farmed livestock and how to correctly manage livestock pre, during and post parturition to meet animal welfare and operational requirements.
K5: The different types of technology and systems used in livestock production, their benefits and how to prepare, maintain (for example, cleaning, repairing minor faults) and use them. For example, Robotic milking, EID tagging, GPS tracking
K6: The legislation applicable to working with farm equipment. This must include provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) legislation
K7: How to prepare and implement health and welfare plans and schedules, identifying priorities, resources required and critical activities to achieve desired KPI’s, including identification of Zoonotic, non-zoonotic and notifiable diseases (for example BSE) and their impact on human health
K8: How to establish current health status of stock, to prepare livestock health & welfare plan.
K9: The different types of grasses, forage crops and bought in feed used to support livestock nutrition and how to assess and manage them for optimum performance.
K10: The importance and methods of ensuring that the movement of livestock is planned and communicated clearly to all relevant parties.
K11: Welfare requirements of livestock in accommodation at different stages of production cycle and how they can be achieved, including management of manure
K12: The market factors such as price, supply chain requirements, new legislation and relevant industry welfare codes, and the impact these have on the business
K13: Range of stakeholders relevant to farm business and their potential impact on business success
K14: The importance and practice of safely and effectively selecting and preparing livestock for sale or transfer
K15: Operating instructions and legal requirements for operating commonly used farm vehicles with a range of attachments. For example, tractor, ATV, quad bike.
K16: The 5 welfare needs of animals: a. its need for a suitable environment b. its need for a suitable diet (and water) c. Its need to exhibit normal behaviour patterns d. any need to be housed with, or apart from, other animals in appropriate social groupings e. its need to be protected from fear, pain, suffering, injury and disease (including the different methods of euthanasia depending on livestock species)
K17: Impact of farm working practices on social, economic and environmental sustainability, including a basic understanding of how to contribute to government-led sustainability targets.
Skills
S1: Plan, implement, monitor and review health and safety of self, others and livestock; including risk assessments and biosecurity policy.
S2: Manage, monitor and evaluate the financial viability of delivered diets, using relevant resources
S3: Maintain, analyse and utilize production records (both written and digital) to improve productivity and aid compliance
S4: Implement breeding plan, monitor and manage the physical condition and check that selected stock are in the correct condition for breeding.
S5: Use the most appropriate technology or digital system (for example, robotic milking, EID tagging, GPS tracking) to ensure that livestock performance is optimised, and its health and welfare is maintained.
S6: Prepare, maintain and operate farm vehicles, and attachments, in different environmental and ground conditions
S7: Carry out day-to-day management of unit conforming to current welfare legislation and current industry welfare codes, including planning for personnel and undertake key activities, to meet KPI’s
S8: Implement, monitor, manage and review livestock health & welfare plan.
S9: Ensure that grass and forage crops are of the appropriate quality and quantity in accordance with farm KPIs
S10: Plan, implement, monitor and review movement of livestock at different stages of production cycle, including preparation of movement documents and allocating resource
S11: Plan and implement cleaning procedures across the livestock unit, including management of manure and manage livestock in accommodation
S12: Implement changes to policy and working practice, based on market factors such as price, supply chain requirements and new legislation
S13: Establish and maintain relationships with stakeholders to support business operation and development
S14: Select and prepare livestock for sale or transfer in accordance with health and safety requirements.
S15: Identify need for euthanasia, contact relevant professionals and complete necessary paperwork
Behaviours
B1: Acts responsibly to provide a high standard of welfare and biosecurity to livestock, self and others under their care
B2: Have a team-based work ethic
B3: Is customer focused
B4: Proactively undertakes continuous professional development
B5: Able to adapt to change in conditions, technologies, situations and working environments.
B6: A clear and effective communicator
B7: Able to give/receive information accurately, timely and in a positive manner
B8: Ability to use own initiative and know when to seek help
B9: Work proactively with internal and external people to achieve positive outcomes
Duty 1
DUTY: Implement biosecurity and infrastructure security in accordance with farm health and safety standards
K1
K2
K17
S1
S4
B1
B5
B6
B7
Duty 2
DUTY: Manage nutrition of livestock relevant to the stage of production
K2
K4
K9
S2
S9
B2
B5
B7
B8
Duty 3
DUTY: Maintain, analyse and utilise production records to improve productivity and aid compliance, reporting to senior management with insight and results.
K3
K7
S2
S3
S7
S8
B2
B7
B8
B9
Duty 4
DUTY: Manage the health and welfare of livestock pre, during and post parturition, updating health plan and recording data on livestock performance
K4
K8
K11
S1
S4
S15
B3
B5
Duty 5
DUTY: Operate and maintain a range of farm equipment, using technology to increase performance and aid compliance. for example, scanning, eid tagging, robotic milking
K5
S5
B5
Duty 6
DUTY: Safely operate farm vehicles and relevant attachments, maintaining vehicles and equipment to promote efficiency savings
K1
K6
K15
S6
B1
B5
Duty 7
DUTY: Proactively manage the livestock and direct the actions of others, to achieve business key performance indicators (kpis)
K7
S7
B2
B3
B4
B5
B6
B7
B8
B9
Duty 8
DUTY: Develop and implement a health plan to proactively manage livestock health and welfare, including identification of issues, evaluation of potential remedy actions and administration of treatment(s)
K8
K16
S8
S15
B1
B3
B4
B5
B7
B8
B9
Duty 9
DUTY: Effectively manage the supply of feed. for example, bought in or home produced
K9
S9
B9
Duty 10
DUTY: Carry out and supervise others with animal handling and movement across the site, to meet welfare and safety standards
K10
S10
B2
B3
B5
B6
B7
Duty 11
DUTY: Equip and accommodate the animals’ living environment for optimal health and performance
K11
K16
S11
B5
Duty 12
DUTY: Implement industry relevant legislation and supply chain requirements
K12
K17
S12
B9
Duty 13
DUTY: Proactively interact with staff and external influencers to improve productivity and achieve KPIs
K13
S13
B6
B7
B8
B9
Duty 14
DUTY: Select and prepare livestock ready for sale or transfer in line with customer specification
