Application
This unit of competency describes the skills and knowledge required to catch, handle and load poultry for transfer to new facilities or processing plant. Poultry can be meat chickens, layer or breeder pullets or spent hens.
All work must be carried out to comply with workplace procedures, work health and safety, animal welfare and biosecurity legislation and codes of practice and sustainability practices.
This unit applies to individuals who work under general supervision and exercise limited autonomy with some accountability for own work. They undertake defined activities and work in a structured context.
No occupational licensing, legislative or certification requirements are known to apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Elements and Performance Criteria
Element | Performance criteria |
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. |
1. Prepare to catch or pick up poultry | 1.1 Follow biosecurity procedures 1.2 Confirm and identify sheds, flocks and bird numbers to be caught and loaded 1.3 Identify work health and safety hazards, assess risks and implement suitable controls 1.4 Select, use and maintain suitable personal protective equipment 1.5 Dim lights and set ventilation and cooling appropriately 1.6 Raise feeders, drinkers, nests and perches as required 1.7 Check and ensure that catching, movement path and vehicle loading area is clear of all obstacles 1.8 Set up catching equipment according to age, stock type and production system 1.9 Select, use and maintain tools and equipment 1.10 Follow relevant work health and safety and animal welfare procedures |
2. Catch or pick up poultry | 2.1 Quietly and calmly move birds into catching area 2.2 Catch and handle birds gently and calmly 2.3 Place birds in crates/modules according to space or weight requirements 2.4 Check birds regularly for overheating and smothering 2.5 Move crates/modules and load onto vehicle gently and calmly |
3. Complete hygiene and administration activities | 3.1 Clean, sanitise, maintain and appropriately store equipment and tools 3.2 Dispose of waste and debris in line with enterprise environmental procedures 3.3 Complete required records and documentation promptly and accurately |
Evidence of Performance
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:
follow biosecurity requirements
identify flocks or shed to be caught
make preparations for catching
set up shed and catching area
catch and handle poultry gently, quietly and calmly
load birds into crates/modules according to space or weight requirements
complete hygiene and administration requirements
follow work health and safety procedures
follow biosecurity procedures
follow animal welfare procedures
Evidence of Knowledge
The candidate must demonstrate knowledge of:
relevant work health and safety requirements
relevant biosecurity requirements
relevant animal welfare requirements and practices
types, uses, cleaning and maintenance of equipment, tools, machinery and personal protective equipment required
techniques and methods for handling, catching, placing into containers and loading poultry
how to assess poultry condition and welfare including overheating and smothering
relevant environmental requirements, and procedures for disposal and management of wastes, debris and fluids
relevant documentation and records that are required
Assessment Conditions
Competency is to be assessed in the workplace or workplace and simulated environment that accurately reflects performance in a real workplace setting.
Assessors must satisfy current standards for RTOs.
Foundation Skills
Foundation Skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.
Range Statement
Sectors
Poultry (PLY)