How long does it take to complete?

Most students finish in 10–15 weeks part-time. The two modules add up to about 200 study hours, self-paced, with 12 months' access. If a busy season gets in the way, you can apply for an extension of up to 12 months (an extension fee may apply).

Will this certificate help me get work on a sheep and cattle property?

It shows an employer you understand both species, which can help, but no course guarantees a job. Our certificates are non-accredited short courses focused on practical, job-relevant knowledge. They're not nationally accredited VET qualifications (such as a Certificate III). If a role or licence legally requires a specific accredited qualification, check with the employer or licensing body. Our course consultants will be upfront about what this course can and can't do for you.

Why do so many Australian farms run sheep and cattle together?

Mainly to spread risk and make good use of the country. Wool, lamb and beef prices don't always move together, so two enterprises can smooth out income. The species also graze differently: sheep graze closer to the ground and are more selective, while cattle handle longer, rougher feed. Alternating sheep and cattle on the same paddocks can also help with worm control, because most worms can only complete their life cycle in one host species.

Is handling sheep very different from handling cattle?

Yes, in scale and in the facilities you use, though the low-stress principles are similar. Sheep move as a flock and are worked through races, pens and drafting yards; cattle need stronger yards, crushes and treatment facilities. The course has a dedicated handling unit for each species, covering yards, routine husbandry and animal welfare.

How do you become a jackaroo or jillaroo?

Jackaroos and jillaroos are trainee station hands, learning the work on a sheep or cattle station. Formal qualifications aren't essential: SEEK notes they aren't required for farmhand roles but may be an advantage, and suggests a driver's licence and possibly a tractor licence. Arriving with a working knowledge of both sheep and cattle helps you show you can be useful across the whole station.

Livestock & Farm Management Courses

Certificate in Sheep & Beef Farming (Online)

Two species, one property: run sheep and cattle with confidence.

Australia's classic mixed grazing enterprise, taught as one course. This sheep and cattle farming course covers breeding, health, handling and production for a flock and a beef herd, online and at your own pace.

100% online
2 core modules
approx. 200 study hours
12 months' access
Tutor support 6 days a week
Certificate + transcript

Download the brochure Speak to a course consultant

What is the Certificate in Sheep & Beef Farming?

The Certificate in Sheep & Beef Farming is a self-paced online sheep and cattle farming course for people working on, or planning, a mixed grazing property. Across two modules (Sheep Farming and Beef Cattle Farming) you'll learn breeding, nutrition, health, handling and production for both species, from wool and prime lamb to calving, feedlots and beef supply chains.

Course overview

Know both mobs, not just one

Walk onto a grazing property and there's a fair chance you'll find a flock and a herd sharing the same country. Running both takes two sets of skills: different breeding cycles, different health risks, different yards and different markets. This course teaches each species properly, so you can work across the whole property instead of being only the "sheep person" or the "cattle person".

Two breeding programs – Plan sheep selection and mating alongside cattle breeding, crossbreeding, calving percentages and weaning systems.
Health across species – Prevent and treat common sheep conditions, run cattle health checks with body condition scoring, and know the main viral, bacterial and parasitic diseases.
Yards and handling for both – Use low-stress handling for sheep and cattle, and understand yards, treatment facilities and routine husbandry such as drenching and castration.
Three products to market – Follow wool, prime lamb and beef from the paddock through transport, processing and supply chains.

Ready to be useful on every part of the property? Start with the brochure.

Who this course is for

Farm hands on mixed grazing properties who work both mobs and want structured knowledge of each.
Successors of sheep-and-cattle family farms planning the balance of species for the years ahead.
Specialist sheep or cattle workers who want to broaden their skills and widen the jobs they can apply for.
Tree-changers and small-acreage owners deciding whether to run sheep, cattle or both on new country.

What you'll study

First comes a short Student Induction module that sets you up on the learning platform and introduces your tutor. Then you'll complete two core modules, one for each species.

Module 1: Sheep Farming (approx. 100 hours)

The flock side of a mixed property. You'll learn how sheep are bred, fed, handled and marketed, and how the sheep year fits around the cattle calendar.

Breeds – the main sheep breeds and their uses.
Breeding – selection and mating programs for the flock.
Lamb Husbandry – lambing, and caring for and rearing lambs.
Nutrition and Feeding – nutritional needs and feeding systems for sheep.
Health and Disease – common conditions, prevention and treatment.
Handling – low-stress handling, yards and routine husbandry.
Infrastructure and Equipment – facilities and equipment for a sheep enterprise.
Wool – producing and handling wool.
Meat Production – prime lamb and mutton production.
Transport and Logistics – moving sheep and getting product to market.
Farm Management – managing the sheep enterprise.

Module 2: Beef Cattle Farming (approx. 100 hours)

The herd side. You'll cover the full beef enterprise, from breeds and calving to feedlots and the supply chain, so you can run cattle with the same confidence as sheep.

Breeds – anatomy and body systems, world breeds, selection factors, and marking and tracking.
Breeding – heritability, crossbreeding and heterosis, calving percentage and weaning systems.
Reproduction – reproductive systems, fertility, pregnancy and calving, and growth.
Handling Cattle – yards and treatment facilities, dehorning, castration, injecting, drenching, and welfare and stress.
Nutrition – feed types, rations and lot feeding, vitamins and minerals, deficiencies, toxicity and water.
Plant Protein – protein types, amino acids, and nitrogen loss and conservation.
Health – vital signs, body condition scoring, causes of ill health and prevention.
Disease – viral, bacterial, parasitic and protozoan diseases and common ailments.
Farm Management Part 1 – extensive and intensive systems, feedlots, and commercial and stud herd management.
Farm Management Part 2 – transport, beef cuts and processing, records and costs, supply chains and technology.

How you'll learn and be assessed

Online, in your own time – study 24/7 on any device, around mustering, marking and calving.
Quizzes and tutor-marked assignments – a short quiz follows each unit. Sheep assignments cover breeds, health and disease, handling, wool and meat, and management; beef assignments cover breeds, reproduction, nutrition and treatment practices, health and disease, and beef cattle management. Your tutor gives personalised feedback on each.
Practical calculations – including calving percentages and ration proportions for cattle.
Competency-based, with support – if something isn't quite there, you resubmit after feedback. Tutor support is available 6 days a week by phone, email or video call. No exams to sit in a centre.

Tailor your course with add-on modules

Any certificate can be tailored with add-on modules from our catalogue, so you can pick up extra skills that match your property, business or career plans. Ask a course consultant about adding modules at enrolment or during your studies.

Farm Management

Run the farm as a business: farm and business planning, budgets and cash flow, staff, operations, business structures, WHS, land, water and soil management, and diversification. With two enterprises on one property, budgeting and planning show you which one is really paying its way.

Pasture Management

Grow more feed from the same paddocks: pasture plants and species selection, soil and water, pests and weeds, machinery, establishing new pasture and managing grazing. Sheep and cattle graze the same paddocks differently, and this module helps you manage pasture to suit both.

Animal Health

Recognise and respond to illness in livestock: signs and symptoms, how diseases are classified, caused, diagnosed and treated, and how animals heal. Gives you the underlying disease knowledge that applies to your flock and your herd alike.

Ask a course consultant about adding modules when you enrol.

Career pathways and earning potential

Mixed livestock skills suit grazing properties of every size, and the livestock services that support them. Roles graduates often explore include:

Station hand or mixed farm hand – working sheep and cattle: mustering, yard work, marking, drenching and feeding. Farmhand: advertised median $71,210 (typical $70k–$80k), SEEK.
Livestock overseer or stock manager – planning both breeding programs and managing stock across the property. Livestock manager: advertised median $110,000 (typical $105k–$120k), SEEK.
Livestock agent or appraiser (trainee) – assessing and marketing sheep, lambs and cattle for producers.

Figures are advertised salaries (SEEK, Jora) or median full-time earnings (Jobs and Skills Australia), accessed October 2026. Pay varies with experience, location and employer. Figures are a guide only.

Course details

Study mode: 100% online, self-paced
Core modules: 2 (plus Student Induction)
Study time: approx. 200 hours at your own pace (most students finish in 10–15 weeks)
Access: 12 months
Support: tutor support 6 days a week
You'll receive: Certificate of Completion, Certificate of Attainment and transcript
Payment: upfront or interest-free payment plan

Download the brochure Speak to a course consultant

Download your Certificate in Sheep & Beef Farming brochure

Get both modules' unit lists, the assessment plan and payment options in one place.

Frequently asked questions

No. The course starts with breeds and basic anatomy for each species, and no prior study is needed. You don't need your own land or stock either. If you already work with one species, the other module fills the gaps, and your tutor can help you apply assignments to a property you know.