Agriculture Apprenticeship

Duty 1: Daily Checks

Undertake safe and effective activities as instructed and actively record daily activity.

Duty 1: Daily Checks
Undertake "safe and effective" activities as instructed and actively record daily activity.

Activities to Cover

  • Feeding and checking livestock
  • Checking, using and cleaning equipment
  • Vehicle checks and maintenance
  • Daily recording activities

Practical Evidence Ideas

Some ideas for photographs, videos, witness statements or practical activities to record as Evidence in your Learning Journal.

Duty Images

Duty Image

Daily Livestock Checks - feeding

What checks do you do each day when feeding livestock?

Duty Image

Daily Livestock Checks - Housing.

What daily livestock housing checks do you do - including fencing.

6 Steps to Great Journal Entries

1. WHAT
What did you do?
2. WHO
Who was involved?
3. TYPE
What kind of job is it?
4. HOW
How was it done? Tools/equipment/steps
5. WHY
Why is it important?
6. SAFETY
How was it done safely?

What a suitable Learning Journal Entry Looks like...

🚜 Feeding Fattening Cattle

Fed the cattle with silage, concentrate and minerals using the feeder wagon. Worked with the stockman to load feed into the machine and give the correct ration for the fattening cattle before feeding along the barrier. Checked water troughs while feeding and made sure all cattle were eating properly. Important to keep cattle healthy and growing well for beef production. Done safely by wearing PPE, keeping away from moving machinery and staying calm around livestock.
Here's how it hits the 6 key points
1. WHAT
Fed the cattle with silage, concentrate and minerals using the feeder wagon. Loaded feed into the machine and fed along the barrier.
2. WHO
Worked with the stockman during feeding and daily cattle checks.
3. TYPE
Daily livestock feeding and health checking for fattening cattle.
4. WHY
Important to keep cattle healthy, eating properly and growing well for beef production.
5. CHECKS
Checked water troughs while feeding and made sure all cattle were eating normally.
6. SAFETY
Wore PPE, stayed clear of moving machinery, and remained calm and careful around livestock.
📋 So in Summary
WHAT → Fed store cattle with silage
WHO → Worked with farm supervisor
TYPE → Feeding livestock in main yard
HOW → Using feeder wagon and checking water
WHY → Cattle growth and health
SAFETY → PPE and safe working around machinery

Common Mistakes

⚠️ Common Learning Journal Mistakes
Writing too little
Example: “Fed cattle.” This gives very little evidence or detail.
Forgetting the “why”
Explaining why the task matters shows understanding and learning.
Missing safety information
PPE, machinery safety and livestock awareness are often forgotten.
Not mentioning teamwork
Working with supervisors or stock staff is useful evidence.
Writing a task list
“Fed cattle. Checked water. Cleaned yard.” does not explain the work properly.
Using vague wording
Words like “stuff” or “helped out” do not show real evidence.
Repeating the same entry
Using the same wording every week weakens journal evidence.
Missing observations
Good entries mention animal behaviour, feed intake, water supply or machinery checks.
Forgetting equipment used
Mentioning feeder wagons or handling systems strengthens evidence.
Not explaining learning
Strong entries show understanding, not just completing jobs.

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