Artificial insemination (AI) is responsible for one of the most important parts of a dairy farmer’s business – getting your cow’s in-calf at the right time.
LIC’s unique DIY AI training course is about equipping you with the right tools to improve AI success rates on-farm. The course blends essential knowledge with practical, hands-on experience to optimise your AI skills.
Course structure
The DIY course spans one intensive week, with a blend of theoretical instruction and hands-on practice in real-world settings. Here’s what participants can expect:
Day 1: Participants dive into the fundamentals of AI, learning techniques crucial for successful insemination. The emphasis is on precision and understanding the reproductive physiology of cows.
Trainees learn the art of insemination on LIC’s lifelike artificial training cow, Henryetta.
Days 2-5: The heart of the course unfolds as trainees transition to live animals in a purpose-built training facility, where they undertake a challenging task: attempting a minimum of 100 inseminations. Each attempt is closely supervised and evaluated by experienced instructors to ensure mastery and accuracy.
Certification and skill development
Upon completion, participants receive a certificate acknowledging their participation and pass rate in the rigorous training program. Trainees are assessed on each attempt at insemination aiming for a qualifying pass percentage.
With a remarkable 99% pass rate after attempting 149 cows in just three days, Matt Cowie’s exceptional achievement underscores the course’s intensity and effectiveness.
Read more about Matt’s experience on the course.
Participants in the course are usually a mix of individuals from breeding companies and dairy farmers wanting to perform AI on their own herds. What they have in common is the ambition to master the art of AI to drive genetic gain in Australian dairy herds.
LIC’s DIY AI training course combines the theoretical knowledge with the hands-on experience necessary for success.
