Elements and Performance Criteria
- Establish breeding programs for production lines
- Comply with organisational policies, procedures and protocols set by the Animal Ethics Committee (AEC) and relevant legislation, including health and safety, at all times
- Relate genetic principles to breeding program requirements
- Design and establish breeding programs for animal production lines
- Confirm design, and develop or evaluate established data collection record systems for relevant breeding program
- Review and modify organisational standard operating procedures for breeding programs
- Select animals and prepare for breeding
- Identify and confirm breeding program for specific production line requirements and production schedules
- Review and monitor animals for mating to determine the current stage of their reproductive cycle
- Monitor females for stages of oestrus cycle and identify those that are ready for mating
- Identify and allocate animals selected for mating or cohort production in an appropriate environment
- Implement breeding procedures
- Perform post-mating procedures
- Monitor animals for signs of parturition and/or eggs for signs of hatching
- Prepare a plan for fostering arrangements or caesarean re-derivations
- Assess quality of offspring according to the required quality parameters of the breeding program and experimental needs
- Identify, sex and wean offspring according to the breeding program
- Carry out post-weaning management according to the breeding program
- Maintain breeding records according to the breeding program and organisational policies and procedures
- Review and suggest modifications to breeding program outcomes for future production runs
- Name and record animals