DIY AI
DIY AI Courses can save you time and money by getting your cow inseminated at the right time without the stress of waiting for the technician.
Our DIY AI courses are delivered over four days: 85% of the course time is devoted to hands-on tuition so that the dexterity skills required have adequate time to be mastered.
All aspects of AI are covered, including:
- Legislation
- Anatomy and physiology
- Safe handling of liquid nitrogen and semen straws
- Thawing procedures
- The practical AI technique
The AI technique is practiced on live cows, on farm. The on farm environment gives a very relaxed training atmosphere. Assessment of the technique is done by ultrasound examination since the cows are inseminated with a viscose liquid which shows up on an ultrasound scanner.
Date of next course and booking information: To be announced on our news page.
Lambing
Our lambing courses can provide you with the knowledge every sheet farmer needs to know to ensure a successful lambing season.
All aspects of lambing are covered including:
- How to prepare for lambing time
- The importance of good nutritional management prior to lambing
- How to prevent and treat common per-natal problems in both the sheep and the lambs
- Common causes of ovine abortion
- Clostridial vaccinations
- How to investigate and reduce the incidence of abortion in your flock
- Normal parturition and when to either intervene or seek veterinary advice
Date of next course and booking information: To be announced on our news page.
Sheep Smallholders
Our sheep smallholders’ course teachers a range of practical techniques which every sheet owner would benefit from learning, including:
- Application and regulations
- Correct usage of drenching guns
- Common injection sites and methods
- Basic lameness control for your flock
This course can be adapted to suit the experience of the group.
Date of next course and booking information: To be announced on our news page.
Milksure Training
We are pleased to be able to offer our dairy farming clients MilkSure training. This will be delivered by our own experienced Vet, Andrew Millar BVMS MRCVS. The training has theoretical and practical components. The theory can be done at Ardene or your farm, but the practical has to be done on your farm because it includes aspects such as medicine storage.
The MilkSure Initiative is for British dairy farmers and is supported by the British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA) and the milk processors. Safeguarding the production of wholesale milk which is free of veterinary medicine residues is in all our interests. MilkSure is led by Dairy UK and has been developed in conjunction with BCVA. MilkSure is a training course for British dairy farmers and their employees.
Training is provided by vets for their own clients, using a workbook and other learning materials. The course covers all the technical and practical aspects necessary to safeguard residue fee milk. A Certificate of Achievement is award to those who complete the training and pass an online test. The completed course and test earns 7 Dairy Pro points, for those who are collecting these.
To register, go to www.milksure.co.uk where you will need to enter Andrew Millar as your Vet’s name and andrew.millar@ardenehouse.co.uk as his email address. If you would like help with registering, please phone Ardene Vet Practice on 01224 740700 and Andrew will be happy to help you.
Click here to download the Milksure PDF.
Foot Trimming
Our foot trimming courses can save you time and money by teaching you the skills required to identify lameness quickly and be able to correct the most common minor causes of lameness before the welfare of your cattle and the productivity of your farm is compromised.
These courses are delivered over three days; the vast majority of the course time is devoted to hands-on tuition, so that the foot trimming skills required have adequate time to be mastered.
All aspects of foot trimming are covered, including:
- Anatomy and physiology of the bovine foot
- Dairy co-mobility scoring to quickly identify and rate severity of lameness
- Common disease affecting the bovine foot
- How to safely restrain a cow and pick up its feet for trimming
- Practical foot trimming using the 5-stage Dutch trimming technique
- How to adequately maintain your foot trimming knives
- How and when to apply blocks
- When to seek specialist/veterinary advice
The foot trimming technique is practiced on live cows, on farm. This on farm environment gives a very relaxed training atmosphere.
Date of next course and booking information: To be announced on our news page.
Veterinary Medicines
The Safe and Effective Use of Veterinary Medicines.
The XLVets FarmSkills Safe and Effective Use of Veterinary Medicines workshop aims to increase trainees’ knowledge of safety and good practice as well as outlining the legislative requirements for on farm medicines use.
The course also aims to increase trainees’ understanding of the different types of medicines used and how these relate to the common diseases on farm.
Date of next course and booking information: To be announced on our news page.
Bull Fertility
Trainees will be able to manage the health of their bull effectively and know how to make the most of this valuable asset on farm.
There is some theory taught in our CPD room and then the rest of the course if on farm.
Suitable outdoor clothing and footwear, which can be disinfected when entering farm, are required for most of these courses.
Date of next course and booking information: To be announced on our news page.