This unit provides the skills and knowledge required to identify and select small livestock for slaughter, preparing killing equipment, conducting safe and humane slaughter of small livestock, dressing and protecting meat, appropriately storing meat and ensuring meat is suited to end-use requirements. Competency also requires the application of skills and knowledge to hygienically clean equipment and slaughter areas and dispose of waste materials.

All work is carried out to comply with workplace procedures.

This unit applies to individuals who work under broad direction and take responsibility for their own work including limited responsibility for the work of others. They use discretion and judgement in the selection and use of available resources and complete routine activities.

No occupational licensing, legislative or certification requirements are known to apply to this unit at the time of publication.

The candidate must be assessed on their ability to integrate and apply the performance requirements of this unit in a workplace setting. Performance must be demonstrated consistently over time and in a suitable range of contexts.

The candidate must provide evidence that they can:

identify and select small animals for slaughter

humanely and hygienically kill small livestock

dress and butcher small livestock carcasses

clean facilities and equipment

prepare and store meat

dispose of wastes in an environmentally responsible manner

The candidate must demonstrate knowledge of:

permaculture practices with regard to killing small livestock, such as:

need to supply meat for domestic human or animal consumption

need to cull pest animals such as rabbits

need to cull animals in excess

need to destroy old or sick small livestock

health restrictions and laws applying to the slaughter of livestock for sale, including not offering for sale small livestock slaughtered for domestic consumption, except where these laws are well understood and adhered to)

relevant legislative work health and safety requirements, especially where they relate to livestock and slaughter, and animal handling techniques

animal welfare legislation, such as:

meat industry health and safety guidelines

Australian standard for hygienic production of meat for human consumption

ANZFA food standards code

state and territory regulations regarding meat slaughter handling and consumption

industry and enterprise quality assurance standards

withholding periods

animal welfare legislation

disease control legislation and requirements

withholding periods

usable products other than meat, such as:

feathers

skins

chicken feet and combs

usable offal and offal disposal regulations, such as:

select cuts, such as poultry offal or rabbit kidneys, that are fit for human consumption

handling offal safely and hygienically

human health and hygiene

health issues affecting both humans and small livestock

end uses for animal carcasses, such as:

meat for human consumption

disposal of culled old or sick small livestock

maximising useful meat cuts and other products of slaughter

storage or treatment of products from animal slaughter, such as:

cool room, refrigerator and freezer

smoke-house or curing facilities

salting barrel

cauldron or large boiler for cooked treatments

containers for storage

poultry and small animal carcass hanging methods, such as:

dressing to avoid cuts to carcass or pelt

preparing skin for drying, storage or disposal

protecting from dust, heat, flies, wild birds or wild animals with appropriate gauze or bags or shelters until process is complete

cold room or cool room

refrigerator or freezer

Assessors must satisfy current standards for RTOs. Assessors must also hold a nationally accredited Certificate III (or higher) in Permaculture. Completion of a Permaculture Design Course (PDC) is not sufficient at this level.

Foundation Skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.

Permaculture (PER)