Livestock Receival and Lairage Procedure

Purpose. Describes the steps for receiving a consignment of livestock, verifying its documentation and identification, unloading, penning and presenting animals for ante-mortem inspection.

1.Before the truck arrives

Check the receival schedule in the livestock receivals system for the expected consignment, species, head count and vendor. Confirm that the allocated pens are clean, that water troughs are full and working and that the unloading ramp, gates and race have been inspected that morning. Note any special handling instruction such as horned cattle, bulls or animals booked for the halal program.

2.Documentation check

Obtain the National Vendor Declaration and the transport documentation from the driver before unloading begins. Check that the vendor, property, head count, species and description match the booking, that all declarations are answered and that the declaration is signed and dated. A consignment with an incomplete or missing declaration must be held in a segregated pen and reported to the Livestock and Lairage Manager before any animal is processed.

3.Unloading

Position the truck squarely against the ramp and confirm the gap is closed before opening any gate. Unload one deck at a time, allowing animals to walk off at their own pace, using flags and body position. Observe every animal as it walks off for lameness, injury, distress or signs of disease and divert any animal of concern to the hospital pen. Record the time unloading starts and finishes.

• Ramp gap closed and non-slip surface clear
• One deck at a time
• No prodders on small stock
• Animals of concern to the hospital pen
• Start and finish times recorded

4.Identification and penning

Read the electronic identification of every animal at the race reader and reconcile the count against the declaration. Investigate every missing or unreadable device and record the outcome. Pen the consignment separately from other consignments, within the posted density for the pen, and enter the pen number, head count and curfew time in the livestock receivals system.

5.Ante-mortem inspection

Present each consignment to the on-plant veterinary officer or authorised inspector for ante-mortem inspection at rest and in motion within the timeframe set by the Approved Arrangement. Record the inspection outcome for the consignment. Animals suspected of an emergency or notifiable disease must be isolated immediately and the Emergency Animal Disease Response Plan activated.

6.Welfare during lairage

Check every pen at least every four hours and record water, animal behaviour and any animal that is down, injured or distressed. Animals held overnight must be checked by the out of hours stockperson and the check recorded. An animal that cannot walk to the knocking box must be assessed by the animal welfare officer and killed humanely in the pen.

7.Records

The livestock receivals record, the National Vendor Declaration, the electronic identification file, the ante-mortem outcome and any welfare notes form the consignment record and must be complete before the consignment is presented for slaughter. The National Livestock Identification System transfer must be completed within 48 hours of receival.