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A footprint to sustainable livestock production
Develop production
plans for livestock –
AHCLSK505A
Workforce Innovations Program Project 275
Materials produced by Regional Skills Training Pty Ltd
Funding provided by the DIISRTE Workforce Innovations Program
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
WEB
Activity I Fact I Website
Contents
01
About yourself
3
02
Trouble with website links
3
03
How are these materials used
3
04
What are these learning materials about
4
05
Employability Skills
5
06
Unit descriptor and how the unit applies to your workplace
5
07
Determine feasibility of livestock enterprise
6
08
Identify and define determinants of livestock profitability
16
09
Establish livestock production targets and prepare production plan
34
10
Review production plans to determine input and service requirement
46
11
Summary of key innovations/opportunities identified as a result of adopting these skills
62
12
Bibliography and source material
63
13
Being confident about your skill levels
66
14
Assessment
68
Copyright Notice
Bridging the Gap between Chemical and Organic Food and Fibre Production.
These interactive workbooks were produced by Regional Skills Training and funded by Department of Industry,
Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education, Workforce Innovations Program and are intended for free
use to any student, RTO or school. Note that any work is copyright and should not be reproduced or copied for
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AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
1
About yourself
Please fill in your details below and save this PDF to your files.
Name
Phone
Email
2
Trouble with
website links
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site will say it is not available. Please revisit the
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materials as web sites are sometimes “off line” for
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If you are consistently unable to access a site
you are free to answer any associated work book
activity or assessment question by searching
for and finding an alternative site that you feel is
applicable. PLEASE INCLUDE THE LINK IN YOUR
ANSWERS so we know where to look to check
your information.
3
How are these
materials used
This workbook has a strong focus on the
self‑directed application of knowledge.
Completing this workbook and all formative
assessments will thoroughly prepare you for your
summative assessment. On successful completion
of appropriate summative assessments provided
by your Registered Training Organisation (RTO),
you will achieve competency in this unit.
Please complete the feedback form at the back of
the unit and advise us of any links that do not work.
Please complete the feedback
form at the back of the
unit and advise us of any links
that do not work
3
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
This workbook is for
managers of intensive
or extensive livestock
production systems.
4
What are these learning materials about
This workbook applies to managers of intensive or extensive livestock production systems. The scope of this
workbook covers the process of developing production plans for livestock and includes the following activities:
•
•
•
•
•
Assess potential livestock enterprises for their market potential and gross margin returns
Define production objectives for the chosen livestock enterprise
Incorporate livestock selection, health and grazing strategies into production planning
Develop cash flow budgets and marketing strategies for the enterprise
Prepare the production plan.
This workbook has a strong focus on the self-directed application of knowledge with substantial depth in the
areas of:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Livestock husbandry, production and management practices
Livestock selection, health and grazing strategies
Financial analysis techniques
Livestock marketing
Sustainable land use principles and practices applicable in the region
Environmental controls and codes of practice applicable to the enterprise
Whole farm planning processes
Relevant WHS legislation, regulations and codes of practice.
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AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
In completing your daily work tasks and activities, you
must be able to demonstrate that you are applying
“employability skills”.
5
6
The statements below list the typical employability
skills that would be applied in a situation related to
developing production plans for livestock within a
livestock production enterprise.
This unit of competency covers the following
processes:
Employability
Skills
This workbook provides an opportunity to develop
and apply employability skills that are learnt
throughout work and life to your job.
In completing your daily work tasks and activities
and summative assessments related to this unit of
competence, you must be able to demonstrate that
you are applying the “employability skills” listed
below to this competency.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Communication skills
Identify and accurately report problems
Organisational skills
Teamwork skills
Technological skills
Use mathematical ideas and techniques.
UNIT DESCRIPTOR
AND HOW THE
UNIT APPLIES TO YOUR
WORKPLACE
• Determine feasibility of livestock enterprise
• Identify and define determinants of livestock
profitability
• Establish livestock production targets and
prepare production plan
• Review production plans to determine input and
service requirement.
Livestock may include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Sheep
Goats
Beef cattle
Alpacas
Deer
Dairy cattle, and
Pigs.
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AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
7
Determine the
Feasibility of a
Livestock Enterprise
New and experienced business owners, regardless
of history or current situation, can benefit from
business planning. As a producer, you may have
developed a business or whole farm plan when you
first acquired your farm or at least established goals
for what you wanted to achieve.
You may now be considering how to go about
achieving those goals through a livestock production
enterprise. Which livestock will you choose and
what is the cost/benefit of production? What are the
resources and skills that you will need? What quantity
and quality of product will you need to produce to be
profitable? Is your land and resource base capable
of achieving these production targets?
These are all important questions and need to be
researched and answered with confidence before
you take the plunge and start investing in a single or
mixed livestock enterprise.
This is business planning and if it is done right,
it can save you a lot of time, money and energy.
Regardless of your circumstances, business plans
are essentially ‘living’ documents and once they are
developed they need to be reviewed and updated
regularly to reflect progress made, identify new
opportunities or threats and map out any changes
that you envision for the future of your business.
This workbook is designed to take you through a
logical, step by step approach to the development
of a Livestock Production Plan. This may be an
element of a broader business plan or a stand-alone
document. It’s up to you to decide the format of your
plan. Whatever you decide, it must be practical,
meet your needs and those of your key stakeholders
(e.g. business partners, bankers).
7.1 Farm environment parameters are assessed
for their suitability for a range of livestock species
The first step to successful livestock production
planning is to make certain that the land,
environment and required resources are available to
support the intended livestock species. There is no
point establishing a sheep enterprise if the climate is
tropical and the land is prone to constant flooding or
there are no appropriate markets for your products.
The most obvious means of assessing the
suitability of an area (climate, regional facilities etc.)
is to take some time and look around at existing
livestock enterprises. By talking to farmers, local
vets, Agri-Industry advisors, industry experts and
local rural suppliers, a short list of suitable livestock
species can be gathered in a very short period
of time.
Ask questions about those industries that are
growing and those that are shrinking. This will
provide clues about strengths, weaknesses, threats
and opportunities associated with any one form
of livestock production. For example, the dairy
industry has been shrinking rapidly due to rising
costs of production and falling prices for dairy
products. You may identify that there is a threat to
the industry and it should therefore be avoided.
Alternatively, you may identify that there will be an
opportunity as a result of high demand for local
dairy products but limited supply. There is no right
or wrong answer. This is essentially a fact finding
mission to enable you to make more informed
decisions about what will work for you.
Take some time and go to the following webpage
and download module 1. This publication provides
a good overview of what should be considered
before deciding on a single or mixed livestock
enterprise. Whilst this module is specific to goats,
the approach is quite generic.
 MLA; “Going into Goats
– Module 1 – Property
Planning”; Australia; 2006.
www.mla.com.au/Research-and-development/
Extension-and-training/Going-into-Goats
W
EB
When considering a goat enterprise, you need to
consider the following:
1) Your business and personal goals – consider
your lifestyle preferences, financial needs and
skills. Be realistic with your expectations.
2) Assess your enterprise choices – consider the
advantages and disadvantages of different
enterprises.
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AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
3) Think about your customers/processors:
–– Do you have a buyer? Availability of a
suitable outlet for your product.
–– Proximity to the processor/customer
– there are implications for cost of
transport, welfare of animals and quality of
end product.
4) Assess the suitability of the land for a goat
enterprise:
–– Shelter, soil type, climate, feed availability,
access to water, topography, threat from
predators, established infrastructure such
as fences.
5) Consider the scale of your operation:
––
––
––
––
Size required to be economically viable.
Associated labour requirements.
Infrastructure requirements.
Resource availability (quality and quantity
of feed and water).
–– Is there room for expansion?
6) Consider the financial implications – gross
margins, return on investment and cashflow.
7) Consider how the new enterprise fits with
existing enterprises.
8) Planning considerations:
–– Consideration for neighbours.
–– Consideration of land capability – be aware
of fragile areas.
–– Potential impact on catchment.
–– Permit requirements.
Other industry based publications are useful to
identify the current status of a particular livestock
enterprise and challenges/difficulties that the
industry may be facing. The future profitability of an
industry must also be factored into your decision
making process.
W
EB
 Meat and Livestock
Australia (MLA)
www.mla.com.au/Prices-and-markets
W
EB
 Australian Pork
www.apl.au.com/pages/index.asp
 Dairy Australia
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EB
www.dairyaustralia.com.au/
 New Rural Industries
W
Australia
E
www.nria.org.au/animalindustrie
B
Once you have identified a list of suitable livestock
for production, you can then start to drill down and
focus on the particular strengths and weaknesses
of each species and the capabilities of your
resource base.
The Department of Primary Industries Victoria
suggests that farm planning should include
the following:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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EB
Land quantity
Land quality (classing)
Soils
Farm water supply
Biodiversity
Pests, plants and animals
Pastures
Succession planning
Grazing management
Drought management
Prioritising works
Identifying threats and assets.
Farm planners and other expert advisors are
available to assist producers to understand
what is viable given a combination of all of these
factors within the context of a producer’s goals
and objectives.
If you are planning an entirely new enterprise
that is foreign to your region, then you may need
to contract a specialist/expert advisor to assess
the capability of your land/region/environment to
support such an enterprise.
Throughout this workbook you will be asked to
complete a number of activities to demonstrate
your understanding of the subjects being
discussed. To get the most out of these activities,
you need to make the activities applicable to your
business. Use the extracts in this workbook (in
this section and in the bibliography at the end of
the workbook) and other sources to assist your
research. Please include reference sources of
information that you have used in your responses
so that we can check these sources as required.
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AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
Activity 1
What circumstances are motivating you to plan a livestock enterprise?
Conduct your own research and identify the shortlist of livestock species that are suited to your region/
environment/farm.
Shortlist of Livestock Species Suited to Region
1
2
3
4
Which of these are you interested in pursuing further? List these in order of preference. If you are introducing a
new species to the region, identify the species.
Identify the conditions required for your preferred livestock and whether these conditions can be met. Complete
one table for each species.
Livestock Species: < insert >
Conditions Required
Conditions Met
(Y, N, Partial)
Having completed the above activities, please identify your preferred livestock. If you intend to have a mixed
livestock enterprise, list all species.
Preferred Livestock Species
1
2
3
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AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
7.2 Potential livestock enterprises are
assessed for their market potential and gross
margin returns
Sustainable livestock management requires
the delivery of livestock/products that meet the
requirements of:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Markets and customers
Enterprise goals and objectives
Profitability
Animal health and welfare
Environmental protection
Community needs
Legislation and regulations.
Understanding and working to these requirements
may well determine the success or otherwise of
your production enterprise.
Understanding potential markets and customers
often receives the least amount of time and
research during the business planning process,
yet it is of fundamental importance to the financial
bottom line.
So what is your target market and what does that
target market want to buy? As marketing consultant
Barbara Findlay Schenck said: “Without customers,
a business is out of business.”
Marketing experts warn that businesses that are
product oriented – those that try to sell what they
can produce without first looking at customers’
needs – risk developing a product that won’t sell.
Instead, most successful businesses are customer
oriented – they deliver products to meet the needs
of their customers.
Conducting market research may involve reviewing
on line publications and market reports, talking to
your customer base and understanding what it is
they want to buy and how much they are prepared
to pay for it. You may discover a niche market
where customers will be happy to pay a premium.
The following extracts provide some examples of
the information available to assist with this exercise:
W
EB
 MLA; “NSW Weekly
Cattle Summary”;
Australia; 2013.
www.mla.com.au/Prices-and-markets/Marketnews
Despite a reduction in quality, prices held ground,
with restocker interest assisting young cattle prices.
Light vealer steers to restock were 5¢ higher to
average 213¢ while the medium weights were up
1¢ to also settle on 213¢/kg. Heavy weight vealers
were 4¢ higher on 207¢ while those to feed slipped
2¢ to 200¢/kg. Medium weight vealer heifers to
restock and process were firm making 191¢ and
192¢/kg respectively. Heavy weight vealer heifers
to the trade made 215¢ to be 11¢/kg higher.
Medium weight yearling steers to feed were up 1¢
to 194¢ and those to restock held firm on 192¢/
kg. Heavy yearling steers to slaughter were also
unchanged on 189¢/kg. Restockers and Feeders
purchased the majority of yearling heifers and
prices averaged 184¢/kg.
Heavy grown steer prices were back 3¢ to 181¢/
kg while the C4 bullocks were 9¢ higher on 184¢/
kg. Light grown heifers were 2¢ higher on 166¢/kg.
Cow prices were mostly higher with the light weight
D2’s to process up 1¢ to 118¢/kg. Medium weight
cows to slaughter slipped 1¢ to 125¢ and the
heavyweights held firm on 134¢/kg. Light weight
bulls were back 6¢ to 156¢ and the heavy portion
was 1¢ 146¢/kg.
 Department of Primary
Industry NSW; “Central
West Region Pilot Area
Beef Profile”; Factsheet No
1; Australia; 2012.
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EB
www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_
file/0010/448831/Beef-profile-central-westregion.pdf
The Beef Cattle industry has had a number of
difficult years as a result of changing market
conditions and weather (IBISWorld, 2012). Dry
periods have driven down the supply of beef
for sale. Australian beef exports have also
faced increased competition from the re-entry
of the United States into the key export markets
(IBISWorld, 2012).
The appreciating dollar has also impacted beef
exports resulting in declining returns from beef
exports and weaker demand.
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AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
Many producers are faced with a delicate balance
of wanting to rebuild drought depleted herds while
still wanting to reduce debt, maintain cash flows
and capitalise on future markets (IBISWorld, 2012).
As market conditions change and numbers are
rebuilt, it is likely there will be a future resurgence.
Other options include contracting marketing
consultants to prepare detailed market surveys
for your intended enterprise or purchasing on-line
publications such as those produced by IbisWorld.
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EB
 IbisWorld; “Pig Farming
in Australia: Market
Research Report”;
Australia; 2012.
www.ibisworld.com.au/industry/default.
aspx?indid=24
Once you have identified your target market and
what you believe you can sell your product for (e.g.
per head or $ per Kg), you need to understand
your cost of production and potential gross
margin returns:
• Cost of production – Cost of production is a
key factor affecting the profitability of livestockproducing businesses. It is measured in cents
per kilogram and provides a breakdown of the
costs associated with producing each kilogram
of meat.
• Gross margin – Gross margin for a livestock
enterprise is typically calculated as livestock
trading account less variable costs (defined as
one more animal, one more unit of cost) and is
expressed per beast, per adult equivalent, per
square kilometre or sometimes as a return on
the value of the animals.
The following extract illustrates how these can
be used to assess the financial viability of a
livestock enterprise:
 MLA; “Longterm View
at Clarkwood”; Australia;
2013.
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EB
www.mla.com.au/Livestock-production/
Producer-case-studies/Long-term-view-atClarkwood
The Hills have revised their turn-off targets to be
more efficient and now aim to finish cattle at a more
moderate 320-340kg off pasture.
The cost calculation
David calculated his cost of production to be
around $1.13/kg liveweight or $2.27/kg carcase
weight. He receives an average of $3.13/kg
carcase weight for a 320kg animal.
“We are fortunate to have a high equity. We do owe
money, but mainly due to extensive infrastructure
improvements in the past 10 years. So, cost of
production is the key area we can focus on in the
short term to maintain the economic sustainability
of our business,” David said.
“We want to keep our operating margin but get
the cost of production down. Turning off a 320kg
animal is easier, quicker, costs less, and is better
for our pasture. It will allow for a more sustainable
business model which is better suited to this area
and gives us greater flexibility to adapt to seasons.”
A key message is that the value of beef in real
terms is similar to the 1970s, but operating costs
are three times what they were then.
“There is a really narrow window to make efficiency
gains – if we know our profit drivers and cost
of production, we can write better budgets,”
David said.
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AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
Activity 2
Please complete the following table for your preferred livestock enterprise. To assist you to determine gross
profit/sales data, you will need to conduct your own research (e.g. with local stock and station agents, retailers,
wholesalers, customers). You need to be very realistic when considering potential profit and look at both ends of
the spectrum – lower and upper limits. Be sure to identify any assumptions you are making.
Question
Response
Who are your target
customers and what do
they want?
What product will you offer
and will it meet your target
customer’s requirements?
Is there an optimum time to
sell your product?
What is your expected cost
of production?
What is your expected
sale price?
What volume will you have to
supply to be profitable?
Is your resource base
capable of producing
this volume?
What assumptions have
you made?
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AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
If you are new to the
business, try talking with
experienced producers
to begin brainstorming
a list of land, plant and,
machinery, equipment,
labor etc...
7.3 Resource requirements required for
profitable livestock production are identified
Now that you have an understanding of your
product, target market and volume of produce
required to be profitable, you need to identify
the resources that are needed to support your
production enterprise. Think about the full lifecycle
of your product (from purchase/birth to sale/
slaughter) and all of the resources required for
each stage of that lifecycle:
• Stock (breed, sex, age, history, quality and
quantity all need to be considered).
• Infrastructure (housing, fencing, shade, water,
handling yards).
• Equipment (medical, animal handling, pasture
and soil management).
• Pest and disease management (predation
management, vaccinations, nutritional
supplements, chemical controls).
• Feed (pasture improvement, rotational
grazing, annual hay making and storage, risk
management strategies for drought/flood/fire).
• Natural resource management (land, water,
soil, vegetation).
• Human resources (farm manager, vets).
• Animal product processing (transport, slaughter
and butchering costs, packaging, storage).
• Sales and marketing requirements.
• Administrative costs (insurance,
accounting, utilities).
• Monitoring and record keeping (e.g. software,
consumables, computer, portable data entry
devices, printers).
If you are new to the business or industry and
uncertain about resource requirements, try talking
with experienced producers, suppliers and
educators/extension officers to begin brainstorming
a realistic list of land, plant and machinery,
equipment, labor and other input needs.
Some examples of resource considerations are
provided as extracts below:
 MLA; “Going into GoatsModule 4 – Infrastructure”;
Australia; 2006.
W
www.mla.com.au/Research-and-development/
Extension-and-training/Going-into-goats
EB
 MLA: Australia; 2012. WE
www.mla.com.au/Livestock-production/Grazingand-pasture-management
B
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AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
Activity 3
Provide a detailed summary of the equipment, infrastructure and other resource requirements required to support
your livestock enterprise.
Category of Resource
Item
Description
Stock
Infrastructure
Equipment
Pest and disease management
Feed
Natural resource management
Human resources
Animal product processing
Sales and marketing
Administration/compliance/
insurance
Monitoring and record keeping
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AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
7.4 Livestock Production risks and strategies to
address them are identified
Risks to your business can exist anywhere and
it can be hard to predict when they will occur.
Managing risk is an important part of business and
planning for risks before they occur is often the
easiest way to do this. For example, as a livestock
producer you may want to plan for when:
•
•
•
•
•
Interest rates or farm input prices increase
Your competitor introduces a new product
An injury occurs in the workplace
Skilled staff leave
Natural disasters occur (drought, flood, pests
and disease outbreaks).
Risk management is a systematic process of
making a realistic evaluation of the true level of
risks to your business. Before risks can be properly
managed they need to be identified. You can begin
with these questions:
• What can go wrong?
• What can I do to prevent it?
• What do I do if it happens?
There are standard procedures and processes to
handle risk management in business. Standards
Australia has developed a Standard, AS/NZS ISO
31000:2009, Risk management – principles and
guidelines that outline procedures and processes
to implement.
A good approach is to develop a risk register
to document each potential problem, its level of
seriousness, what is required to fix it and who will
fix the problem:
• Identify the risk
• Evaluate the risk
• The controls or actions you will implement for
each risk based on the risk assessment
• Who is responsible/accountable for managing
the risk
• How often the accountable person will review/
monitor the risk
The following sources of information have
been provided to get you thinking about risk
management planning within your enterprise.
 AWI and MLA; “Making
More From Sheep – Module
1 – Plan for Success”;
W
Australia; 2008.
E
www.makingmorefromsheep.com.au/plan-forsuccess/procedure_1.4.htm
B
 Australian Pork;
“On-Farm Strategies
to Minimise the Impact
of High Feed Prices on
Business Profitability”;
W
Australia; 2008.
E
www.australianpork.com.au/pages/page75.asp
B
 Diary Australia; “Industry
Risk Management”;
W
Australia; 2012.
E
www.dairyaustralia.com.au/Levy-investment/
Promote-and-protect-dairy/Industry-riskand-reputation-management/Industry-riskmanagement.aspx
B
 University of Sydney
– Australian Centre for
Agricultural Health and
Safety; “Resources –
Hazard Checklists with
Action Plans”.
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www.aghealth.org.au/index.php?id=5030
EB
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AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
Activity 4
Identify potential but realistic risks to your enterprise by analysing your operating environment, production
strategies and the skills/abilities of resources within your organisation.
Then complete the following risk register for your business. If you already have a risk register that meets your
requirements, attach it to the end of this workbook and submit it to your lecturer for assessment. It is useful to
prioritise risks so that you can easily identify extreme risks (i.e. number 1) vs low risks (i.e. number 10)
Risk Title
Risk
Description
Probability
Consequence
Risk
Assessment
Actions to
Mitigate Risk
Person
Responsible
Date of Last
Review
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AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
8
Identify
and Define
Production Goals
and Determinants of
Livestock Profitability
To date, you have conducted some preliminary
information gathering and analysis to determine
whether your intended livestock enterprise is viable.
If the result of this exercise has identified serious
concerns or risks, and your intended enterprise is
not viable, then you need to explore other options.
This might include alternative livestock, mixed
farming systems, alternative target markets and
end products. Do not move forward with the
business until you are satisfied that you have a
viable business option to move forward with.
It is assumed that you have achieved this and can
now commence more detailed planning activities.
Now it is time to establish your enterprise goals and
objectives.
Goal
 AWI and MLA; “Making
More From Sheep – Module
1 Plan for Success”;
W
Australia; 2008.
E
www.makingmorefromsheep.com.au/plan-forsuccess/tool_1.2.htm
B
• Specific: Be very clear about the action.
• Measurable: How much? How many? etc. are
included in the objective
• Achievable: Do you have the time, skills and
resources to achieve this objective? How much
do you rely on factors outside your control?
The degree to which an objective is achievable
is a personal assessment.
• Realistic: Will meeting this objective make
a significant contribution to the goal? Will
it give you the return you are looking for on
your investment and time? Again, this is a
personal assessment.
• Time-bound: Be as clear as possible about the
time lines.
As with goals, you will need to prioritise the various
objectives. One way to determine the priorities
across objectives is to do a quick analysis of the
consequences if the objective is not achieved.
In this step, you are developing a statement about
the “big picture”; where are you going in life and
what do you hope to achieve with your time,
effort, money and skills. Your goal should include
farm business direction as well as family life and
personal growth.
Objectives
Setting objectives is a critical step in the planning
process of any agricultural business. While a goal
steers the direction of the business, objectives
are more concrete and are therefore easier to
comprehend and to act on.
Ultimately, objectives will be the standard by
which you will measure your business progress.
The following extracts have been provided to assist
you develop your business goals and objectives.
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AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
Activity 5
It is now time for you and your planning team to develop the goals and objectives that are going to provide a
basis for future decision-making for your livestock production enterprise. Once you have reached agreement on
these, update the following table with the results.
Goal
<<Insert Goal>>
Objectives
<<insert objectives>>
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
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AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
8.1 Strategies for herd/flock sourcing and
improvement are established. Livestock species and
breeds are selected to suit the production system
and the market. A breeding program is determined
as appropriate
When selecting animals for your livestock enterprise,
you should focus on what you are trying to achieve, that
is, your goals and objectives. Livestock species must
also be selected to suit your production systems and
target market.
This extract illustrates the importance of genetics and
reproduction (breeding programs) to optimise the
profitability of livestock enterprises.
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EB
 MLA; “Sheep”; Australia;
2012.
www.mla.com.au/Livestock-production/Geneticsand-breeding/Sheep
W
EB
 MLA; “Going into Goats –
Module 5 – Goat Selection”;
Australia; 2006.
www.mla.com.au/Research-and-development/
Extension-and-training/Going-into-goats
Using the best available genetics allows producers
to potentially improve the animal’s contribution to
enterprise profit. Reproductive management aims to
ensure that the desirable genes that have been selected
are transferred from one generation to the next.
• This extract illustrates the importance of
breeding objectives to optimise the profitability
of livestock enterprises.
W
EB
 Source: MLA; “Breeding
Objectives and Selection”;
Australia; 2012.
www.mla.com.au/Livestock-production/Geneticsand-breeding/Breeding-objectives-and-selection
A breeding objective describes characteristics that
affect profit the most, as well as how important each
trait is to profit. A breeding objective should be specific,
measureable and attainable.
When developing breeding objectives consider:
• A breeding objective is generally specific to
a particular market, therefore it is important to
understand customer and market requirements.
• Depending on the target market, some traits or
characteristics have greater economic importance
than others e.g. chemical free, hormone free,
free range, organic, fat content, grain fed, grass
fed, etc. Selecting the right breeds that will thrive
under these conditions, in your region, will be of
significant importance.
• Monitoring the current herd or flock performance
against customer or market requirements and
considering how this performance and the
requirements might change over time.
• Some traits are highly heritable or readily passed on
from one generation to another. Greater progress
towards breeding objectives can be achieved by
targeting traits that are highly heritable.
• Focus on traits of economic importance rather
than traits that have more to do with ‘tradition’ or
‘personal preference’.
The following is an example of a cattle enterprise’s
breeding objectives. This has been provided to assist
you with the subsequent activity.
 MLA; “Producer Case
Studies”; Australia; 2012. WE
www.mla.com.au/Livestock-production/Producercase-studies/Breeding-profit
B
Bruce and Libby have developed Hillcrest’s breeding
objectives to both suit their market and also maximise
the productive capacity of the herd. To do this, they
have drawn on their experience within the cattle and
stud cattle industries, as well as the findings of the
Beef CRC Maternal Productivity Trial which have
supported their own beliefs.
Key objectives of the composite breeding program
include to:
• Use positive fat estimated breeding values (EBVs)
to increase fat in females, ensuring resilience in all
seasons and conditions, hence creating a lower
maintenance animal, and maximising fertility of all
females, particularly heifers.
• Maximise eye muscle and growth rates to increase
the productivity of the herd.
• Turn the herd black, through the use of Angus
bulls, to deliver uniformity, maximise saleability
and market options and help meet MSA criteria for
marbling, fat cover and colour.
18
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
Activity 6
In the first table, please describe your breeding objectives using bullet points. In the second table, identify the
characteristics/traits that are required to deliver these objectives and then rank the importance of these traits (1 =
highest ranking).
Breeding Objectives:
Characteristics/Trait
Ranking of Importance
(1 highest)
Reference/Information Source
19
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
Once you understand the requirements of your target
market and have developed breeding objectives that are
aligned to these requirements, you can start the process of
selecting livestock that meet the breeding objectives.
Once you understand the requirements of your
target market and have developed breeding
objectives that are aligned to these requirements,
you can start the process of selecting livestock that
meet the breeding objectives.
The difficult task of selecting breeding stock based
on genetic assessment has been made easier and
more precise through estimated breeding values
(EBVs) (cattle and goats) and Australian sheep
breeding values (ASBVs) (sheep).
Selection describes the process of choosing
animals that will pass particular traits onto
their progeny. Selection should consider
both subjectively measured traits (visual
assessment) and objectively measured traits
(genetic assessment).
Breeding values are calculated using information
from each animal’s own performance and from the
performance of its relatives. This information can
help select and breed livestock that will achieve
performance targets and improve profitability.
1. Subjective, visual assessment
Visual assessment is an assessment of an animal
based on what can be physically seen. While
the requirements will vary depending on the
enterprise’s breeding objectives, traits to look for
when visually assessing livestock include:
• The conformation or shape of the animal
(e.g. muscling).
• Structure of the animal (e.g. whether the mouth
is overshot or undershot).
 Source: M LA; “Breeding
Objectives and Selection”;
Australia; 2012.
W
www.mla.com.au/Livestock-production/
Genetics-and-breeding/Breeding-objectivesand-selection
EB
2. Objective, genetic assessment
Objective assessment uses actual measurements
to assess the relative worth of an animal to an
enterprise. One form of objective assessment is
genetic evaluation which provides an insight into
the genetic makeup of animals. This is particularly
useful when sires are being acquired to improve
a herd or flock according to the enterprises
breeding objectives.
20
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
Activity 7
In the previous activity you identified the breeding objectives for your livestock enterprise and described the
‘ideal’ animal that you are aiming to produce. Review the listed traits and ensure that you have ranked these in
order of importance, based on economic factors rather than personal preference. You are now ready to identify
the breeds that will provide these traits.
Role
Breed
8.2 Feed requirements are determined for
each age/sex/category of herds/flocks in your
livestock production plan
Nutrition is about understanding what and how
much to feed your animals. In order to start
planning your feeding program, you need know the
following:
1. What you want to achieve.
2. The nutrient requirements of your stock.
These will vary with:
•
•
•
•
•
Physiological state
Age
Performance level
Class of animal
Climatic conditions e.g. temperature, windchill
and frost.
3. Your feed resource and how it grows:
• Feed quality and quantity
• The regeneration time of specific plants
(required rest periods)
• The maximum and minimum heights/quantities
of plant material to optimise plant and animal
performance.
This can be quite complex, particularly if you are
new to livestock production or new to an area
where local conditions are not yet fully understood.
As always, talk to local producers and advisors
before committing to any livestock enterprise.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Often, it is best to start small and then grow
numbers as you become more experienced.
Look at the following example and see how
understanding your product provides an
understanding of feed requirements at key stages
of production.
 MLA; “ More Beef from
Pastures – Module 8”;
Australia; 2004; P8 .
W
EB
www.mla.com.au/Research-and-development/
Extension-and-training/More-Beef-from-Pastures
Every market for livestock has different
specifications. Some markets require animals to
be finished on grain or lot fed, while other markets
(e.g. grassfed beef, natural meat and organic
markets) require pasture finishing.
When selecting a target market, it is important to
consider the nutrition required by the animal to
achieve a particular specification in the particular
production environment. Central to feed quality are
attributes such as protein, energy and digestibility.
These change depending on the growth phase of
the pasture.
21
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
Genetics is also important in determining whether a
particular animal will be able to be finished to meet
market specifications.
The following extracts have been selected to
provide an overview of how to determine feed
requirements for each age/sex/category of herds/
flocks and meet market specifications.
W
EB
 MLA; “Pasture
Finishing”; Australia; 2012.
www.mla.com.au/Livestock-production/Feedingfinishing-and-nutrition/Pasture-finishing
W
EB
 MLA; “Supplementary
Feeding”; Australia; 2012.
www.mla.com.au/Livestock-production/Feedingfinishing-and-nutrition/Supplementary-feeding
W
EB
 MLA; “Feed Demand
Calculator”; Australia;
2012.
www.mla.com.au/Publications-tools-and-events/
Tools-and-calculators/Feed-demand-calculator
W
EB
 AIMS; “Grazing Plan
Calculator”; Australia;
2009.
http://aimsag.com.au/software.html
 Department of Primary
Industries Victoria; “Dry
Sheep Equivalents for
Comparing Different
Classes of Livestock”;
Australia; 1997.
W
www.agronomy.com.au/download/
DSEratings.pdf
EB
 Department of Primary
Industries Victoria;
“Pasture Consumption and
Feed Conversion Efficiency
Calculator Instruction
Manual”; Australia; 2012.
www.dpi.vic.gov.au/agriculture/dairy/pasturesmanagement/calculator/pasture-consumptioncalculator-manual
W
EB
 Lifetime Wool; “Herbage
Mass – Assessing Pastures
in NSW”; Australia; 2011. WE
www.lifetimewool.com.au/Pasture/herbagemass.
aspx
B
Regardless of which method you use, the key
to measuring feed availability on your farm is
consistency and experience of watching both
the grass and animal behavior over the growing
season. The advantage of a formal monitoring
program to determine the amount of available feed
is that it forces you to walk all your paddocks on a
regular basis.
22
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
Activity 8
The following table represents an annual timeline over which you can map your herd/flock structure and
corresponding fodder growth seasons. This table should illustrate demand for feed (i.e. high stock number, high
nutritional need) and corresponding supply (i.e. high pasture growth season, low pasture growth season). This
will provide an indication of whether demand and supply are balanced. Please note that this is a simple exercise
based on stocking rates by month and a basic understanding of pasture growth seasons for your area (i.e.
summer = high growth, spring and autumn = moderate growth, winter = low growth).
If you wish, you may convert stock numbers to DSE to provide a better estimate of nutritional demand.
The first table has been populated with an example to assist you. Please complete the second table specifically
for your enterprise /climate.
Feed
Year 1
Demand/
Supply
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Stock (use head count or DSE)
Role
(ie. cow)
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
Role
(ie. bull)
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
30
60
95
95
95
95
95
95
132
167
197
197
197
197
197
197
Role
(ie. calf)
Total Stock
102
102
102
102
Growth Milestones
Joining

Calving



Early
Lactation






Late
Lactation



Weaning
Finishing
Feed
Demand

Mod
Mod
Mod
High
High
High
High
High
Very
High
Very
High
Very
High
Low
High
High
High
High
Mod
Mod
Mod
Low
Low
Low
Mod
High
Med
Med
Med
High
Extreme
Extreme
Extreme
(High ,
Med, Low)
Feed
Supply/
Quality
(High, Med,
Low)
Feed
Demand/
Supply
Risk
23
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
Feed
Year 1
Demand/
Supply
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Stock (use head count or DSE)
Role
(ie. cow)
Role
(ie. bull)
Role
(ie. calf)
Total Stock
Growth Milestones
Joining
Calving
Early
Lactation
Late
Lactation
Weaning
Finishing
Feed
Demand
(High ,
Med, Low)
Feed
Supply/
Quality
(High, Med,
Low)
Feed
Demand/
Supply
Risk
24
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
8.3 Feeding strategy including grazing
management, where appropriate, is determined
and feeding programs are developed for
each livestock category in your livestock
production plan
As a result of completing the previous activity, did
you identify periods where intake demand is high,
but supply is low or of insufficient quality?
These are risks that need to be managed in any
livestock production enterprise. There are a number
of strategies that can be employed to manage
these risks including:
• Strategic grazing (e.g. rotational grazing, cell
grazing) to promote good pasture growth.
• Supplementary feeding to support
key milestones (e.g. joining, calving,
weaning, finishing).
• Destocking (e.g. sell or agist) to enable
demand to match supply.
• Buying in feed (e.g. hay, grain) during
lean times.
• Producing and storing surplus feed on farm
(e.g. hay/silage).
• Sowing annual pastures (e.g. annual rye grass
performs well in winter).
• Improving soil fertility to increase pasture
production via a combination of activities
(e.g. strategic grazing, planting deep rooted
perennials, planting tree belts, increasing
biodiversity, applying minerals and fertilisers,
sub-soiling and improving water infiltration…
to name a few).
Feeding programs rely on a combination of
these methods and others, to ensure that animal
performance meets target specifications. The
following publications are very comprehensive
and cover a number of feeding and grazing
management strategies:
 MLA; “More Beef from
Pastures”; Australia; 2012.W
www.mla.com.au/Research-and-development/
Extension-and-training/More-Beef-from-Pastures
EB
Go to this webpage to download the modules
within this program.
 MLA; “Making More from
Sheep”; Australia; 2012. W
www.mla.com.au/Research-and-development/
Extension-and-training/Making-more-from-sheep
EB
Go to this webpage to download the modules
within this program.
 MLA; “Going into Goats”;
Australia, 2012.
W
www.mla.com.au/Research-and-development/
Extension-and-training/Going-into-goats
EB
Go to this webpage to download the modules
within this program.
 Australian Pork;
“Feed and Supply Risk
Management”; Australia;
2013.
www.australianpork.com.au/pages/page75.asp
25
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
For further information on rotational grazing
strategies, take some time to review the following:
W
EB
 Greg Judy; “The Healing
Effects of Holistic High
Density Grazing on Land,
Livestock & People’s Lives”;
USA; 2011.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6HGKSvjk5Q
W
EB
 Overlander – Bill Twigg;”
Organic Farming – Bringing
Back Perennial Native
Pastures”; Australia; 2010.
 MLA; “Feed Budget
and Rotation Planner”;
Australia; 2012.
W
EB
www.mla.com.au/publications-tools-and-events/
tools-and-calculators/feed-budget-and-rotationplanner
 Making More from
Sheep; “Tool 8.7 Getting
Started in Simple Rotational
Grazing”; Australia; 2008.
W
EB
www.makingmorefromsheep.com.au/turnpasture-into-product/tool_8.7.htm
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nedP-B__
yk&feature=fvsr
26
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
Activity 9
Describe the feeding programs (including grazing management) that you will use for each livestock category
within your enterprise. Identify any special requirements that must be satisfied to meet performance targets and
how you will manage risks associated with feed demand/supply.
Livestock Category < insert>
Feeding program
Livestock Category < insert>
Feeding program
Livestock Category < insert>
Feeding program
27
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
8.4 Health management program is developed
to manage/prevent disease in each herd/flock in
your livestock production plan
Livestock health management programs need to
consider both preventative and curative strategies.
As disease prevention is more effective and less
costly than treatment, it is worth investigating the
full range of preventative health strategies that
are available to you. These are aimed at building
immunity and developing resistance to disease,
infection, parasitic attack and metabolic disorders
through good management. Preventative health
programs require livestock producers to:
• Have a thorough understanding of the pests,
diseases and other health issues that may
affect livestock/region and their causes
–– How to prevent them from occurring
–– How to treat them if they do occur
• Communicating these strategies through verbal
and written instructions to others working on
the farm.
The following provide some examples of
preventative strategies. As with all strategies, they
must be aligned with the goals of the organisation.
Homeopathic Treatments
A range of treatments including herbs, vitamins
and minerals, homoeopathy, acupuncture and
dietary additives are used by livestock producers
to supplement nutritional requirements and
build immunity.
Vaccines
Vaccines are used to prevent the incidence of
particular diseases in livestock.
Quarantine
When introducing new livestock to an enterprise, it
is useful to quarantine these animals for a period
of time until you are certain that they are fit and
healthy and do not pose a health risk to the existing
herd/flock.
Some further examples of preventative
health strategies are provided in the
following publications:
“Pick the cows for your type of country and the bull
for your market”
 Department of
Agriculture Fisheries
and Forestry – Qld Govt;
“Disease Prevention
and Health Monitoring”;
Australia; 2010.
Nutrition
www.daff.qld.gov.au/27_13814.htm
Breed Selection and Culling Program
A rigorous and ongoing culling program for
susceptible and weak animals is very important to
improve genetic traits related to pest and disease
resistance. The general rule of thumb for breed
selection is:
Like humans, animals require food and water
in sufficient quantity and quality. Livestock
producers need to proactively match the nutritional
requirements of the animal with available feed
(quantity and quality) in order to maintain healthy,
disease resistant livestock and achieve objectives
for their livestock production plan.
Stress Free Environment
W
EB
 MLA; “Diseases”;
Australia; 2012.
W
EB
www.mla.com.au/Livestock-production/
Animal-health-welfare-and-biosecurity/
Diseases
As with humans, animals can be susceptible to
disease when stressed. Providing a stress free
environment that allows for the natural behaviour of
animals, is another preventative health strategy that
producers use to reduce the incidence of disease.
28
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
Activity 10
In the following table, identify the preventative health strategies you will implement to promote animal health and
welfare and minimise the risks you have identified in activity 4.
Strategies
What will this strategy
address?
How will these be
communicated to
others on the farm and
implemented?
Reference
29
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
Follow any specific
instructions provided by
veterinarians.
When it is necessary to use treatments such as
veterinary products (e.g. antibiotics, vaccines or
other chemicals to prevent or treat diseases in
livestock), producers should:
• Read the label thoroughly before use.
• Observe all label restrictions.
• Follow all label directions for dose rates,
safety precautions, personal protective
equipment, withholding periods (WHPs),
export slaughter intervals (ESIs), re-handling
intervals and disposal of empty containers and
unused product.
• Follow any specific instructions provided
by veterinarians.
• Record the appropriate information on a
livestock treatment register.
For the health and wellbeing of the animals under
your care it is important that treatment is given
where necessary using the most appropriate drug,
dose rate and method of application.
When using veterinary medicines and pesticides,
care must be taken not only to ensure that
treatment produces the most effective results for
your animals, but that it will not cause unacceptable
residues in the carcase at the time of slaughter.
The following factsheet provides information on
the responsible use of veterinary chemicals for
anyone working with cattle, sheep or goats. Go to
the bottom of the webpage to ‘more information’
and click on the link to: ‘responsible use of
veterinary chemicals’.
 MLA; “Responsible Use
of Veterinary Chemical”;
W
Australia; 2005.
E
www.mla.com.au/Meat-safety-and-traceability/
On-farm-risk-management/Residues
B
Treatment checklist
It is important to think carefully before treating
livestock with any veterinary medicine or pesticide.
A useful checklist is as follows:
• Is treatment really necessary?
• Will treated animals get an effective dose and
course of treatment?
• Are there likely to be adverse side effects?
• Is there a better treatment alternative?
Try to restrict veterinary drug use to situations
where treatment is clearly necessary, treated
animals will get an effective course of treatment,
and there is minimal risk of adverse side effects,
including carcase residues.
30
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
Activity 11
Consider and answer the following questions. This activity has been modified from the following webpage, which
provides additional information to assist with the questions. www.dpi.vic.gov.au/agriculture/about-agriculture/
legislation-regulation/legal-booklets/chemical-management
Once you have answered these questions, revisit your risk management register and update it if required.
Question
Response
Keeping Track of Chemicals
How do you keep records of:
• All agricultural chemical products
• Prescription animal remedy medicines obtained
from a veterinary practitioner, and for all veterinary
chemicals with a withholding period (WHP)?
How do you store your chemicals?
Do you add veterinary medicines in stock feed or
water?
If you have stored a product for an extended period
of time, do you check to see if it is still allowed to be
used?
How good are your practices?
Do you always read and follow the product label or
permit instructions in full before using any chemical
product?
Are you using the chemical in accordance with the
product label or relevant permit instructions?
Describe which chemicals you use that may be used
off-label in certain circumstances and which must be
used in strict accordance with the product label or
permit instructions?
8.6 Environmental controls are established as required as an important component of your livestock
production plan
Livestock producers are responsible for in excess of 50% of Australia’s land mass and have a responsibility to
protect this environment for future generations. Environmental management (or natural resource management)
is now a core component of any good quality livestock production plan and of all quality assurance and farm
certification programs. Consumers are increasingly demanding ‘clean, green’ food from producers who make
animal welfare a priority and manage the land in an environmentally sensitive way.
Some of the core aspects of environmental management that will require monitoring and environmental controls
include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Land use and management
Biodiversity and vegetation management
Soil and water management
Feral animal and weed management
Greenhouse gas and energy management
Extreme weather events (flood, fire, drought, disaster management).
Industry bodies are developing tools, templates and codes of conduct to assist livestock producers to manage
for good environmental outcomes. The extracts on the following page address environmental management for
producers of beef cattle/sheep/goats, pigs and dairy cattle.
31
W
EB
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
 MLA; “Environmental
Stewardship”; Australia;
2012.
 Dairy Australia;
“Environment”; Australia;
W
2013.
E
www.mla.com.au/Livestock-production/
Environmental-management
www.dairyaustralia.com.au/Animals-feed-andenvironment/Environment.aspx
Producers are stewards of the land and the
environment and make a critical contribution to
managing Australia’s natural resources. Consumers
and the community are increasingly seeking
verification regarding the environmental credentials
and sustainability of the produce they buy.
Dairy Australia has a range of programs to assist
farmers make informed decisions about natural
resources. Different management practices can
result in improved productivity and environmental
outcomes. Resources are available to assist
dairy farmers understand and manage a range of
environmental issues.
To address this need MLA is working to establish
a web-based self-assessment system to
assess, benchmark and record current industry
environmental practices and changes over time.
This is a voluntary program that will be available
to producers who want to actively demonstrate the
environmentally responsible nature of their livestock
production systems. The AgriSure Environmental
Stewardship Module is currently in development.
W
EB
 Australian Pork;
“Environment and Natural
Resource Management”;
Australia; 2010.
B
The following extract provides other examples
of information available on-line to assist you
understand and implement sound environmental
management practices.
 MLA; “Biodiversity and
Vegetation”; Australia;
2012.
W
EB
www.mla.com.au/Livestock-production/
Environmental-management/Biodiversity-andvegetation
www.australianpork.com.au/pages/page135.asp
The Australian pig industry is committed to
ensuring environmentally sustainable pork
production. To meet and exceed the increasingly
stringent regulatory requirements in each state
the pork industry has developed the National
Environmental Guidelines for Piggeries to facilitate
a consistent environmental regulatory approach.
32
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
Activity 12
You are required to document your environmental management plan. This must be applicable and useful to your
business, align with the objectives of your livestock production plan and meet any certification standards that
apply to your enterprise.
You are free to include any information of relevance to your plan. We suggest that the following topics/issues are
important and should be incorporated.
• Rotational grazing strategies must achieve biodiversity and sustainability.
• Soil and plant health must be optimised to provide a nutrient-dense and balanced diet for livestock.
• Pastures must be planted and nurtured to provide species diversity, plant health and vigour applicable to
stocking density.
• A soil-testing program is implemented in order to monitor and maintain optimal pasture species and
soil health.
• The level of nutrients exported from the farm is estimated and soil nutrient levels are replenished.
• Strategies for controlling weeds in pastures are implemented.
• Policies, procedures and practices emphasise the use of renewable resources, conservation of energy, soil
and water and an overall intention to enhance the environment.
Complete the following table and explain/summarise your environmental management plan
What is the Objective
What do you do to achieve the
objective
What outcome do you target
33
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
9
Establish
Livestock
Performance
Indicators, Production
Targets and Prepare
the Production Plan
Performance indicators are used to measure the
success (or otherwise) of your business and whether
you are on track to achieving your goals.
For example, if one of your goals is to grow the
business, a key performance indicator (KPI) could
be ‘customer base increase of 5% per annum’. This
KPI can be easily measured to confirm whether the
business is achieving its goal.
Developing KPIs can be quite daunting. It is best
to start with your goals and objectives and then
determine what indicators will help you demonstrate
whether these are being achieved.
Keep it simple to start with and then you can
increase/decrease KPIs over time. As you read
through the following extracts and examples,
think of the 10 key measures that you would use
to demonstrate the success of your business to
your key stakeholders (peers, customers, business
partners, financers etc.) and what is most important
to you.
If there is an issue within your enterprise that requires
considerable investment/improvement, then you may
wish to develop a KPI to specifically demonstrate
whether strategies employed are working. KPIs,
when measured over time, can:
• Identify enterprise performance measures –
social, economic and environmental.
• Track positive and negative trends.
• Inform key stakeholders (e.g. management, staff,
customers, financers) of business performance.
• Provide information to make more informed
business decisions.
Both physical and financial performance
indicators and benchmarking are commonly used
to analyse the overall performance of livestock
production systems:
• Physical performance indicators may relate to
production, environmental and social outcomes,
such as:
–– Yields
–– Physical inputs
–– Productivity (yield per unit, and input per
unit)
–– Production efficiency
–– Natural resource asset condition (i.e. water
quality, soil health, pests/disease)
–– Community attitudes.
• Financial performance indicators may relate to:
–– Profitability or earning capacity
–– Liquidity (i.e. short term financial stability)
–– Solvency (i.e. long term financial stability).
The following extracts provide examples of KPIs
across a number of industries. Remember it is
important that the KPI’s used in your livestock
production plan are useful and meaningful to YOU.
There is no point including KPI’s that are never
measured or never used to evaluate and improve
your enterprise.
 Department of
Agriculture – Government
of Western Australia;
“Achieving Production
Targets for Prime Lambs
– Farmnote No. 56/2004”;
Western Australia; 2006.
W
EB
www.agric.wa.gov.au/objtwr/imported_assets/
content/aap/sl/bgh/fn056_2004.pdf
 MLA; “Standards”;
Australia; 2012.
W
EB
www.mla.com.au/Meat-safety-and-traceability/
Livestock-Production-Assurance/About-LPA/
LPA-rules-and-standards
34
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
Information is
available on-line to
assist you to implement
sound environmental
management practices.
W
EB
 MLA; “Livestock
Production Assurance”;
Australia; 2012.
www.mla.com.au/Meat-safety-and-traceability/
Livestock-Production-Assurance/LPA-QualityAssurance
Go to the link at the bottom of the LPA Forms Table
– “Internal Audit Report and Checklist”.
 Meat and Livestock
Australia; “Business,
Finance and Risk”;
Australia; 2012.
W
www.mla.com.au/Livestock-production/
Business-management/Business-financeand-risk
EB
W
EB
This document provides performance indicators
that measure whether LPA standards are met,
including relevant legislative and regulatory
requirements.
 MLA and AWI; “Making
More From Sheep – Module
1 – Plan for Success”;
Australia; 2008.
www.makingmorefromsheep.com.au/plan-forsuccess/tool_1.9.htm
35
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
Activity 13
It is now time to identify your top 10 key performance indicators that you will use to measure the performance
of your business. Each aspect of your business should be considered (e.g. people, livestock, profitability,
environment). Update the following table with your results. An example has been provided.
KPI
Describe how this will be monitored and reported.
>90% successful
calving rate per
annum
Livestock register will record cows that have successfully calved. Calves must survive
to day 3 to satisfy this KPI. At the end of each breeding season/year, information will be
collated to determine overall % of herd that has calved successfully.
Annual data will be visually displayed in a bar graph to identify trends over time.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
36
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
W
EB
9.1 Product quality specifications are developed
and production targets set for your livestock
production enterprise
www.mla.com.au/livestock-production/
preparing-for-market/understanding-marketspecifications
Producing livestock that meets market
specifications is one of the most obvious means of
improving profitability.
As customer requirements are dynamic, it is
important for producers to keep abreast of
changing requirements and emerging trends.
In this section of the workbook, you will develop
product specifications and production targets.
Product specifications should be aligned with your
target market. Production targets should identify the
quantity and quality of each product specification
that you will produce and within what timeframe.
To meet market specifications, particular
management knowledge and skills are required
including:
• Understanding the specifications and customer
requirements of the target market.
• Assessing and monitoring the progress of
animals towards target markets.
• Managing the grazing system or using high
quality finishing systems to achieve growth
targets and successful market outcomes.
• Seeking feedback and implementing practices
to improve the management of the production
system.
• Evaluating marketing options regularly.
Some examples have been provided below:
 Department of Primary
Industries, NSW; “Market
Specifications for Beef
Cattle“; Primefact 621;
Australia; 2007.
W
 Source: MLA;
“Understanding Market
Specifications”; Australia;
2012.
EB
www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_
file/0005/148415/Market-specifications-for-beefcattle.pdf
Market specifications
Major Market Specifications
Minor Market Specifications
• Weight (live or carcase)
• Fat (P8 fat depth or score)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Sex
Age (dentition)
Breed
Lifetime traceability
Hormonal growth promotant status
Meat colour
Fat colour
Fat distribution
Accreditation or other eligibility requirements (e.g.
European Union market, Meat Standards Australia)
• Meat/carcase pH
• Muscle score
• Butt shape
37
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
Activity 14
Describe the characteristics of your product and your production targets. Be as specific as possible.
The following headings are guides only and you may wish to specify your product using different criteria.
Complete a separate table for every product you produce. An example has been provided.
Product Name
Product Characteristics
Beef – Weaner Steers and Heifers
250 kg liveweight
7-9 months of age
Male and female
Angus
Inputs
Product differentiator
Fat score ≥ 3
Milk fed, grass fed
Nil chemical inputs
Nil hormonal promotants
Target Market
Intended Use
On-Farm Processing /
Packaging
Production Targets
(Quantity and Timeframe)
LPA Quality Assured
Local butcher, farmers market
Meat
Nil
Turnover of 250 head per annum.
Target specification achieved within 7-9 months.
Product Name
Product Characteristics
Inputs
Product differentiator
Target Market
Intended Use
On-Farm Processing /
Packaging
Production Targets
(Quantity and Timeframe)
38
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
Product Name
Product Characteristics
Inputs
Product differentiator
Target Market
Intended Use
On-Farm Processing /
Packaging
Production Targets
(Quantity and Timeframe)
Product Name
Product Characteristics
Inputs
Product differentiator
Target Market
Intended Use
On-Farm Processing /
Packaging
Production Targets
(Quantity and Timeframe)
39
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
9.2 Livestock cash flow budget is established
for your livestock production plan
To ensure the profitability of your business, you
need to understand the financial position of the
business, and analyse the financial impact of any
changes. The most basic aspects of financial
analysis are knowing your:
•
•
•
•
Costs
Income
Profit/Loss
Cash flow.
There are many more financial indicators that are
used to assess financial business performance.
The information provided here is the most basic of
introductions to the subject.
Costs fall into three categories:
• Variable Costs: These are costs directly
associated with production from an enterprise.
For example; animal health costs, fuel, fodder
production costs, supplementary feeding costs,
breeding costs. These costs vary according to
the size of the activity.
• Overhead Costs: These are fixed costs of
running a business. For example; rates, general
insurance, electricity, accountancy. These costs
do not vary significantly even though the level
of farming activity on the property may change.
• Capital costs: These are the value of the
resources on which the business bases its
operation. For example; land, equipment,
livestock. These tend to be purchased up front
when a business is being established and then
on an as needs basis thereafter.
Income relates to any sources of income/cash that
come into the business (e.g. sales, agistment, fees
for services provided).
When budgeting for an enterprise, look to past
results for evidence of likely future costs/income.
You also need to factor in any likely increases
or decreases in costs/income based on market
conditions. Budgeting also requires assumptions to
be made and these must be realistic. For example;
Last year Enterprise A sold 5000kg of beef.
This year, it is assumed that a 10% increase
in sales will be achieved. This assumption is
based on a 10% increased stocking rate due to a
pasture improvement program. This is a realistic
assumption as there is a direct relationship
between increased feed, increased stocking rates
and increased sales. As with all assumptions
however, there is the risk that they are incorrect.
The following sites provide reference materials,
tools and templates that will get you thinking
about what you need to include within your
budget forecast. As each enterprise is different,
you will need to conduct your own research and
customise your budget templates to meet your
specific requirements. It is important that you
seek further advice from a financial adviser (with
an understanding of agricultural industries), an
accountant or agricultural adviser (with good skills
in financial analysis).
 MLA; “Going into Goats
– Module 2 – Financial
Analysis”; Australia; 2006.
W
EB
www.mla.com.au/Research-and-development/
Extension-and-training/Going-into-Goats.
 MLA; “More Beef
From Pastures – Module
1 – Setting Directions”;
W
Australia; 2004.
E
www.mla.com.au/Research-and-development/
Extension-and-training/More-beef-from-pastures
B
40
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
 AWI and MLA”; Making
More From Sheep – Module
1 – Plan for Success”;
Australia; 2008.
www.makingmorefromsheep.com.au/plan-forsuccess/index.htm
 Tasmanian Farmers
and Graziers Association;
“Property Management
Planning – Financial
Management Module;
Tasmania; 2011.
 DPI Victoria; “Farm
Budgets and Tools”;
Australia; 2011.
www.dpi.vic.gov.au/agriculture/farmingmanagement/business-management/farmbudgets-and-tools
 Business Victoria;
“Managing Finances and
Tax”; Victoria; 2012.
www.business.vic.gov.au/BUSVIC/STANDARD/
PC_62520.html
www.tfga.com.au/policies/projects/
41
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
Activity 15
Please conduct your own research and prepare a 5 year budget forecast for your enterprise and determine your
likely gross profit/loss (before tax).
Income
Item
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Item
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Year 1
Year 2
Year 4
Year 5
Total Income
Costs
Variable
Overhead
Capital
Total Costs
Gross Profit/Loss
Year 3
= A-B
Now prepare a cashflow statement for Year 1 only.
CashFlow
Statement
Year 1
Months
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Income
Costs
Net Gross
Profit/Loss
= A-B
42
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
Often, producers
determine what can be
realistically completed
in any given year within
resource constraints and
work from there.
9.3 Livestock production plan is prepared
incorporating a calendar of operations for the
enterprise production cycle.
Throughout this workbook you have completed a lot
of planning and research. It is now time to consider
all of the activities that need to be completed, and
the sequence in which they occur, to make your
livestock production plan a reality.
As with all projects, you need to tackle the
implementation of your production system within
the context of your business needs, values and
available resources.
When planning your implementation, will you
implement everything in one ‘big bang’ or will you
break it down into a series of manageable and
incremental stages?
For instance, you may want to conduct a small trial
of a new livestock enterprise before committing to
a broad scale, commercial implementation. This
incremental approach allows lessons to be learnt
and practices to be refined before significant
investments are made.
Often, producers determine what can be
realistically completed in any given year within
resource constraints and work from there.
Remember to look at your goals and objectives and
focus on those activities that will achieve these.
Once you have identified the stages for
implementation, you can identify the major tasks to
be completed within each stage. Typically, these
are the major components of the enterprise that
need to be managed. For example:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Infrastructure management
Equipment management
Water management
Stock management
Soil and pasture management
Processing
Distribution
Sales and marketing.
The next step is to further refine your major
activities and:
• Identify the activities to be completed (e.g.
install boundary fence).
• Who will do it (e.g. farm manager).
• Resources (e.g. fence materials, auger).
• Duration – how long will the task will take (e.g.
4 weeks).
• Start and end dates (e.g. 1.8.2013 – 1.9.2013).
This information can then be displayed in a
production schedule to communicate to key
stakeholders (e.g. staff, contractors, financers,
business partners), when activities are to
occur and in what sequence, in order to meet
production targets.
43
3
4
1
2
3
1
2
3
Sep
4
1
2
3
Oct
4
1
2
3
Nov
4
1
Oil
Contour Bank
Monitor
Activities
Major Task
Keyline Fodder
3
Jul
2
4
1
3
Aug
2
4
1
2
3
1
2
3
Oct
Purchase
4
1
2
3
Nov
Apply
4
1
All paddock keylines at minimum
4
S5
All paddock keylines at minimum
Sep
S5
OverSow
Plant Tree Belt
3
Xmas
4
1
2005/2006
2012_13
2
3
Jan
4
1
2
3
Feb
4
1
3
Dec
2
4
1
2005/2006
2012_13
Monitor
2
3
Jan
4
1
Paddock N1
Paddock N1
3
4
Maintain
Feb
2
Sell Calves
Ear Tags
1
Monitor Heifers and Supplement Feed as Required to Maintain Health
Boundary Fence Along S5, S7
Remineralisation
Liquid Fertiliser
2
Dec
Check fencing prior to moving livestock into a paddock and fix as required
4
Due to extreme weather
events, a decision was made
to destock 20 cows+calves
at foot
2
Aug
Keyline all paddocks
1
1
Jul
Yeoman Plough
Slash
Sell
Marking
Fly Control
Drench
Calving
Gestation
Bull
Purchase
Connect and Test
Pipe to Paddock
Boundary
Electric
Activities
Land Protection
Soil and Pasture
Management
Stock
Management
Water
Management
Fencing
Major Task
3
4
1
2
3
Apr
4
1
2
3
May
4
1
2
3
Jun
2
3
Mar
Apply
4
1
2
3
Apr
4
1
Overdue/Not Started
Complete
In progress
In planning
2
3
May
4
1
2
3
Jun
Note: This project view summarises major
components of the Farm Plan for 2012/13. The
following colour legend indicates progress against this
plan:
2
Mar
4
4
The following is an example of a production schedule for a beef enterprise. Notice how colour coding can identify the progress of each activity (e.g. in planning,
in progress, complete or overdue). This provides an immediate indication of whether the production schedule is on track or not. Corrective actions can be taken
as required if schedules are monitored in this way.
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
44
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
Activity 16
Using the example above, or your own preferred template, develop a production calendar for your enterprise.
This must identify major tasks, activities and when they are to occur. Tip: Use Excel or PowerPoint.
A simple template has been included to get you started.
Major
Task
Activity
July
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
45
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
10
Review
Livestock
Production Plans
to Determine
Logistics and Service
Requirement
There is no definitive list of inputs/services
or logistics that you may require. These are
dependent upon the specific circumstances of
your enterprise. And of course, they are not static.
Inputs, services and logistics change as your
circumstances change. It is important to constantly
review your production schedule and update
your requirements to support the dynamic nature
of farming.
Now that you have documented your livestock
production schedule, take some time to review
it and identify the services, logistics and inputs
required to support your key activities. These will
include such things as:
• Purchase and delivery of inputs. For example;
equipment, infrastructure, plant and materials,
animal health products and nutritional
supplements, seed, soil fertility treatments etc.
• Services/Logistics. For example, services
associated with pasture and soil improvement,
animal health programs, cropping and hay
making, harvesting, transportation, marketing
and sales.
46
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
Activity 17
Review the outcome of the previous activity and other resource related activities in this workbook. Think about the
resources (physical, service/logistics related) required to meet your production schedule. These are essentially
dependencies – your scheduled activities cannot be completed without them. Update the following table with
the inputs/services/logistics required to support the activities identified in your production schedule. Identify the
date when these inputs/services must be secured. Also consider any risks/issues/constraints that you need to be
aware of (e.g. service provider on leave from March – April).
Activity
Inputs Required
(include quantity)
Services Required
When
Risks/Issues /
Constraints
Tip: Once these have been identified, put them in your diary or automated ‘to do’ list. Provide an appropriate lead
time to ensure that you have organised inputs/services in advance of their due date. This will ensure that activities
are not delayed as a result of not ordering inputs/service by the due date.
47
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
10.1 Appropriate physical and financial
record keeping system is established to
provide data for the analysis of livestock
production performance
Throughout the implementation of your livestock
production plan you will need to carefully monitor
whether your plan is on track. Monitoring is the
regular gathering and analysis of information
needed for day-to-day management, to ensure
that your plan is being implemented and expected
outcomes/objectives are being achieved. Without
good record keeping and monitoring, it is difficult
for any organisation to accurately determine if
requirements are being met.
Monitoring needs to be based on a realistic but
effective system suited to the specific needs of
your enterprise. Firstly you must be clear about:
•
What it is you are monitoring
•
The decisions you want to be able to make
using the monitoring results
•
The information you need to collect to make
these decisions.
Financial Record Keeping Systems
Detailed information on current and projected
finances is another key component of analysing the
overall performance of your production system. An
accurate assessment of your current and projected
expenses, income, assets, cash flow, net profit and
net worth will determine your financial capability to
maintain or grow your operation within the context
of your business goals.
Financial planning is a complex area of business
management. It requires a detailed and systematic
approach to identifying, documenting and
monitoring all financial aspects of the business.
Knowing where you are financially will enable you
to make more informed decisions, know whether
you can take advantage of an opportunity if it
presents itself, feel more secure about your future
and respond appropriately to risks that might arise.
If you are unsure about how to calculate or interpret
financial information, you should always seek
professional financial advice.
Then you need a system that enables you to:
•
Collect the information easily that you need
•
Use it to make decisions.
You must also decide if you will manage all of this
yourself, include staff, or use a consultant.
W
EB
The MLA’s More Beef from Pastures publication,
offers some valuable tools and tips for livestock
producers when it comes to monitoring
and evaluation:
MLA; “More Beef from Pasture – Module 1 –
Setting Directions”; Australia; 2004.
48
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
Activity 18
Update the following table with the records that you keep for your livestock production enterprise and how you
will ensure each record is kept up to date (maintenance KPI).
Record Title
Who is
Responsible
Enterprise Expenses Farm Administration
Manager
How and When
is Information
Collected/Entered
Where is This
Record Stored
How Long are
These Records
Kept?
7 years
Invoices are reviewed Excel: Farm/2012/
Enterprise Expenses
and paid within 7
working days. Details
are logged on the
Enterprise Expense
register within 24
hours of payment.
Invoices are then
filed in the Farm
Expense Folder
for the nominated
year, by category
of expense.
10.2 Livestock Production plan is reviewed
Now that you have completed your detailed production planning, it is time to organise the data into a suitable
plan to aid decision making and to support the presentation of the plan to appropriate stakeholders for
review and acceptance. Throughout this process it is important to keep in mind what the plan will be used for,
who will use it and what their needs are. In this way, you will deliver a plan that is practical, meaningful and
‘fit for purpose’.
49
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
Activity 19
This is the final activity for this unit. Collate all of your preliminary and detailed planning information together to
produce a final and cohesive livestock production plan which should include the following:
1.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Title Page
Table of Contents
Executive summary (one page summary of key messages and recommended next steps)
Introduction
Options and Feasibility
––
––
––
––
––
Farm Environment Parameters
Potential Livestock Enterprises – Assessment of Options
Resource Requirements
Risks, Issues, Constraints
Preferred Option and Livestock Species
5. Production System Requirements:
––
––
––
––
––
––
––
Goals and Objectives
Herd/Flock Structure
Strategies for Sourcing Livestock and Breeding Program
Feeding and Nutrition
Animal Health and Welfare
Environmental Management
Legislative and Regulatory Requirements
6. Production Targets, Resources and Costs
–– Performance Indicators
–– Quality Specifications and Production Targets
–– Budget and Cashflow
7. Production Schedule
–– Production Schedule
–– Inputs and Services Schedule
8. Sales and Marketing Plan
9. Record Keeping and Monitoring Plan
10.Recommendations and Next Steps
11.Appendices
12.References
A template has been provided in the following pages. You may use this template, modify it to suit your needs or
use your own template.
50
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
REPORT TEMPLATE
Insert Company Name
Insert Plan Title
Insert Company Logo
and Company Details –
Address, Telephone and Email
51
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
Current Version
V
Date Amended
Amended By
Version History
V
Date Created
Sections Changed
Distribution History
No.
Date Distributed
Acronyms
Sections Changed
Distributed To
Definitions
52
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
Table of Contents
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
Executive Summary
54
Introduction
54
Production System Options and Feasibility
55
3.1
Farm Environment Parameters
55
3.2
Potential Livestock Enterprises – Assessment of Options
55
3.3
Resource Requirements
55
3.4
Risks, Issues, Constraints
55
3.5
Preferred Option and Livestock Species
55
Production System Requirements
56
4.1
Goals and Objectives
56
4.2
Herd/Flock Structure
56
4.3
Strategies for Sourcing Livestock & Breeding Program
56
4.4
Feeding and Nutrition
56
4.5
Animal Health and Welfare
57
4.6
Environmental Management
57
4.7
Legislative and Regulatory Requirements
57
Production Targets, Resources and Costs
58
5.1
Performance Indicators
58
5.2
Quality Specifications and Production Targets
58
5.3
Budget and Cashflow
58
Production Schedule
59
6.1
Production Schedule
59
6.2
Inputs and Services Schedule
59
Sales and Marketing Plan
59
Record Keeping and Monitoring Plan
60
Recommendations and Next Steps
60
Appendices
61
References
61
53
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
1
Executive Summary
2
introduction
54
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
3
Production System Options and Feasibility
3.1
Farm Environment Parameters
3.2
Potential Livestock Enterprises – Assessment of Options
3.3
Resource Requirements
3.4
Risks, Issues, Constraints
3.5
Preferred Option and Livestock Species
55
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
4
Production System Requirements
4.1
Goals and Objectives
4.2
Herd/Flock Structure
4.3
Strategies for Sourcing Livestock & Breeding Program
4.4
Feeding and Nutrition
56
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
4.5
Animal Health and Welfare
4.6
Environmental Management
4.7
Legislative and Regulatory Requirements
57
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
5
Production Targets, Resources and Costs
5.1
Performance Indicators
5.2
Quality Specifications and Production Targets
5.3
Budget and Cashflow
58
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
6
Production Schedule
6.1
Production Schedule
6.2
Inputs and Services Schedule
7
Sales and Marketing Plan
59
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
8
Record Keeping and Monitoring Plan
9
Recommendations and Next Steps
60
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
10
Appendices
11
References
End of template
61
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
11
Summary
of Key
Innovations/
Opportunities
identified as a
Result of Adopting
These Skills
The adoption of new opportunities and key
innovations should always be considered from the
perspective of the triple bottom line. However each
producer will need to determine:
• What are the most important aspects of each
opportunity and innovation?
• How can a new innovation or opportunity
be sustainably applied to your business or
production system?
The summary below is provided as a list of
suggestions. It is by no means complete. It is also
unrealistic to assume any single business can
adopt every opportunity.
• Improved understanding of business planning
processes (preliminary and detailed) in relation
to livestock enterprises.
• Improved ability to influence/convince key
stakeholders to proceed from planning
to implementation.
• Establish SMART production targets and
introduce monitoring programs to continually
improve business performance.
• Improved understanding of the production site
and its capabilities to support livestock species.
• Establish clear business direction based on
sustainable, quantifiable and measurable goals
and key performance indicators.
• Improved ability to secure business funds as a
result of documenting a sound business plan.
• Understand the landscape and its capabilities
and how to respond to environmental
challenges and opportunities.
• Potential increase to production levels and
resource use efficiency by matching inputs to
areas of the farm that give the greatest returns.
• Monitor business activities to enable timely
responses dynamic circumstances.
• Increase ability to financially plan for
future developments and prioritise
production activities.
• Understand and comply with relevant
legislation, regulations and codes of practice
to reduce liability and improve product quality
and reputation.
• Optimise resource efficiency and reduce
input costs.
• Enhance business performance and maintain
corporate social responsibility.
62
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
12
Bibliography and Source Material
Organisation
Contact Details
Web Site
Reason for Inclusion
Acres Australia
www.acresaustralia.com.au/
contact-us/
www.acresaustralia.com.au/
On-line book store and resources relevant
to animal health and welfare.
AIMS – Agricultural
Information Monitoring
System
http://aimsag.com.au/
contactdetails.html
http://aimsag.com.au/software.html
This site provides links to a number of data
collection templates (pasture checklist)
and software (excel based feed budget
and graze planning tools) for performance
indicators relevant to grazing/beef
production systems.
Animal Health Australia
www.animalhealthaustralia.
com.au/about-us/contact-us/
www.animalhealthaustralia.com.au
Reference materials for animal health,
surveillance and biosecurity.
www.animalhealthaustralia.com.
au/programs/emergency-animaldisease-preparedness/ausvetplan/
AUSVETPLAN
APIQ
www.apiq.com.au/index.
php?option=com_content&vie
w=article&id=2&Itemid=2
www.apiq.com.au/index.
php?option=com_content&view=artic
le&id=10&Itemid=20
QA implementation manual, forms and
templates.
APVMA
www.apvma.gov.au/about/
contact/index.php
www.apvma.gov.au
Agricultural and veterinary chemicals
regulation.
Australian Animal
Welfare Standards
www.animalwelfarestandards.
net.au/contact-us/
www.animalwelfarestandards.net.au/
Animal welfare standards.
Australian Pork Ltd
www.australianpork.com.au/
pages/page13.asp
www.australianpork.com.au/pages/
index.asp
Industry news, publications and
information.
Business Victoria
www.business.vic.gov.
au/BUSVIC/FEEDBACK/
FEEDBACK.html,contextPC=
www.business.vic.gov.au
Business Victoria is a comprehensive
online resource designed to help you start,
run and grow your business.
Diary Australia
www.dairyingfortomorrow.com/
index.php?id=6
www.dairyaustralia.com.au/Peopleand-business.aspx
Financial, resource and people
management tools, templates and
procedures.
www.incalf.com.au/default.asp?actio
n=page&catID=74&pageID=123
Department of
Agriculture, Fisheries
and Forestry – Australian
Government
www.soilhealthknowledge.com.
au/index.php?option=com_co
ntent&view=article&id=2&Ite
mid=4
www.soilhealthknowledge.com.au/
Department of
Agriculture and Food
Western Australia
www.agric.wa.gov.au
www.agric.wa.gov.au
www.daff.gov.au/__data/assets/
pdf_file/0019/1623214/beef.pdf
Biosecurity resources for the dairy industry.
Soil health knowledge bank provides
a range of resources to assist farmers
develop sustainable soil management
policies, procedures and monitoring
systems.
Farming for the future. Full strategy
available for download (PDF file).
Also includes self assessment tools and
links to best practice procedures.
Australian agrifood and fibre market
outlook.
Department of Primary
Industries Qld
http://agbiz.daff.qld.gov.au/
support/feedback-form.htm
http://agbiz.business.qld.gov.au/
Agbiz – Agribusiness decision support
toolkit.
Department of Primary
Industries NSW
www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/aboutus/
about/contact
www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/
livestock
State based livestock resources.
Department of Primary
Industry and Fisheries –
Northern Territory
www.nt.gov.au/d/
Primary_Industry/index.
cfm?header=Key%20Contacts
www.nt.gov.au/d/Primary_Industry/
index.cfm?header=Animals
State based livestock resources.
63
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
Organisation
Contact Details
Web Site
Reason for Inclusion
Department of Primary
Industries, Parks, Water
and Environment –
Tasmania
www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/
Home/1?Open
www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/
ThemeNodes/SSKA-8SK3RL?open
State based livestock resources.
Department of Primary
Industries Victoria
www.dpi.vic.gov.au/about-us/
contact-us
www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/
ThemeNodes/LBUN-7VR3TX?open
www.dpi.vic.gov.au/agriculture/
animals-and-livestock
State based livestock and farm planning
resources.
www.dpi.vic.gov.au/agriculture/
farming-management/businessmanagement/whole-farm-planning
Government of South
Australia – PIRSA
www.pir.sa.gov.au/livestock/
contacts
www.pir.sa.gov.au/biosecuritysa/
animalhealth
State based livestock resources.
www.pir.sa.gov.au/livestock/home
Farm Biosecurity
www.farmbiosecurity.com.au
www.farmbiosecurity.com.au
Tools to help assess the biosecurity risks
on your property and ways to reduce them.
Kondinin Group
www.kondiningroup.com.au/
static.ASP?t=1&I=0
www.kondiningroup.com.au/static.
ASP?t=2&I=19
The Small Landholder Information Service
(SLIS) has teamed up with Kondinin Group
to deliver a series of technical notes on
running a small farm, or property. This
series of Noteworthy fact sheets provide
practical information from the Department
of Agriculture and Food WA to help small
landholders make better choices.
NASAA Certified
Organics
www.nasaa.com.au/contact.
html
www.nasaa.com.au/resource2.html#
Resource Centre – Forms and templates
are available for organic producers.
New Rural Industries
Australia
www.nria.org.au/Contact
www.nria.org.au/animalindustrie
Resources for livestock enterprises outside
of sheep, beef, dairy and pigs e.g. camels,
alpacas, emus, rabbits, deer, buffalo,
crocodiles.
North Coast Livestock
Health and Pest Authority
www.lhpa.org.au/contact
www.lhpa.org.au/districts/northcoast
Regional newsletters reporting incidence
of disease.
Meat and Livestock
Australia
www.lhpa.org.au/__data/assets/
pdf_file/0018/430515/NCLHPA-BeefCattle-Book.pdf
www.mla.com.au/General/
Contact
Reference material and cattle health care
eBook.
www.mla.com.au
Fact sheets, industry best practice
guidelines, EMS, NLIS, record keeping
templates, breeding strategies and
genetics, livestock production publications:
Going into Goats, More Beef from Pastures,
Making More From Sheep.
www.merckmanuals.com/home/
index.html
Veterinary manual.
https://rirdc.infoservices.com.au/
collections/org
Organic production manuals and
publications.
https://acresaustralia.com.au/
bookstore/prod383.htm
Book – “Salad Bar Beef”; USA; 1995.
Excellent reference for holistic grazing
principles and practices.
www.sare.org/Learning-Center/
SARE-Program-Materials/NationalProgram-Materials/What-isSustainable-Agriculture
Excellent resource site for sustainable
agriculture texts, articles, research
materials and on-line publications. USA
based.
Savory A; Butterfield J,
Bingham S
https://acresaustralia.com.au/
bookstore/prod473.htm
Book – “Holistic Management Handbook”;
USA; Island Press; 2006. Reference
material for holistic management and
grazing strategies.
Tasmanian Farmers and
Graziers Association
www.tfga.com.au/policies/projects/
Property Management Planning – Financial
Management Module.
University of Minnesota
http://agmarketing.extension.psu.
edu/Business/PDFs/build_sust_
business.pdf
Very useful planning resource with
worksheets, case studies and templates.
Merck
RIRDC
www.rirdc.gov.au
Salatin, Joel
SARE
www.sare.org/Contact-Us
64
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
Organisation
Contact Details
Web Site
Reason for Inclusion
University of Southern
Qld – National Centre
for Engineering in
Agriculture
www.ncea.org.au/index.
php?option=com_content&task
=view&id=69&Itemid=87
www.ncea.org.au/index.
php?option=com_content&task=view
&id=68&Itemid=85
Reducing Farm Energy Costs – Research
activities and completed projects.
University of Sydney
– Australian Centre for
Agricultural Health and
Safety
www.aghealth.org.au/index.
php?id=7
www.aghealth.org.au/index.
php?id=5030
This website is a useful resource for
Australian farmers to understand,
implement and monitor risk management
strategies for occupation health and safety
related events.
www.uws.edu.au/__data/assets/
pdf_file/0020/12917/Hazard_
Identification_Risk_Assessment_and_
control_Procedure_2008.pdf
Risk management framework.
University of Western
Sydney
65
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
13
Being confident about your
skill levels
Before commencing on your summative assessment take a few minutes to review this workbook and ensure you
feel that you are confident about your skill levels related to this topic.
Use the table below to help check your skills. Before commencing your final assessments it is important to review
any sections in which you feel unsure.
Remember: It is always OK to ask your assessor/lecturer questions.
The following table provides a list of skills and knowledge you should have after completing this workbook.
Review this table and:
1.
2.
3.
Put a tick in the column if you can do this now and a brief comment as to why you believe you have this skill.
Put a tick in the next column if you feel you need more practice and a brief comment as to why.
If you require further training, complete the third column listing what training is needed. Show this
list to your supervisor or assessor and ask for more time or training before completing the
summative assessments.
Ref
Skills/knowledge you
should have
1
Determine feasibility of
livestock enterprise
2
Identify and define
determinants of livestock
profitability
3
Establish livestock
production targets
4
Prepare production plans
5
Review production plans to
determine input and service
requirements
6
Livestock husbandry,
production and management
practices
7
Livestock selection, health
and grazing strategies
8
Financial analysis techniques
9
Livestock marketing
10
Sustainable land use
principles and practices
applicable in the region
11
Environmental controls and
codes of practice applicable
to the enterprise
I can do I need more practice and
What additional training do
this now must review the work before
I need
completing final assessments
66
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
Ref
Skills/knowledge you
should have
12
Whole farm planning
processes
13
Relevant WHS legislation,
regulations and codes of
practice.
I can do I need more practice and
What additional training do
this now must review the work before
I need
completing final assessments
67
AHCLSK505A – Develop Production Plans for Livestock
14
Assessment
You have now reached the end of this workbook. All of the information and activities you have covered have
developed your skills to competently develop production plans for livestock in your workplace.
Your competency may be assessed through your successful completion of all formative activities throughout
this workbook. Alternatively, your RTO may require completion of a final summative assessment. You will need to
discuss this with your RTO.
FEEDBACK
This workbook has been developed to guide users to access current information related to gaining skills appropriate
to their workplace. Please complete the following table notifying us of any errors or suggested improvements.
Subject Name
Book Number
Page
What is the error
Suggested improvement
10
You Tube video is not accurate
Better websites / You Tube example
Is there a link to your suggested improvement
Additional comments
Click here to email your feedback form to RST
68