DIY AI Course
AHDB Beef & Lamb is providing 50 per cent funding towards DIY artificial insemination (AI) courses for suckler producers with over 30 breeding females.
BUT there are now only 43 funded places left!
To book onto a course, please contact your nearest provider. Full contact details, including upcoming course availability, can be found below.
Funding from AHDB Beef & Lamb is dependent on the delegate completing and passing the course. Failure to pass the course will result in the delegate paying the full cost.
The funding will also be available to final year agriculture students who can successfully demonstrate how they will use the skills gained on the course in their future career in full time employment on a suckler farm in England.
Any students applying for funding should complete an application form and return it to
The personal information we collect on this form will be used to assess your suitability for the AI course. The personal data of a successful student applicant will be used to enable AHDB and its training providers to administer your AI training. The personal data of any unsuccessful applicant will be deleted within three months. AHDB will retain the personal data of successful applicants for up to six years as a record of your course attendance and to contact you for feedback. For further details on how we use and look after your personal information please read our Privacy Notice at ahdb.org.uk/PrivacyNotice
Why use AI?
• Improve the genetics of your herd
• Use bulls with proven performance
• Tailor the breeding of your herd by selecting for maternal or terminal traits
• Speed up genetic progress of your breeding females with sexed semen
• Reduce the need to keep as many bulls on farm
George Burrell farms 200 cattle in Alnwick, Northumberland and attended an AHDB funded DIY AI course in April 2018 with Bishopton Veterinary Group in Ripon. Last breeding season he used a synchronisation programme to AI 30 cows with a conception rate of 80%. He opted to use AI to save on bull costs and to keep the herd closed to help minimise disease. He also saw it as a way to improve the genetics of his herd and bring in new blood lines.
James Shouler, a suckler producer from Oxfordshire, attended a course in 2017. In this short video he talks about the benefits of being able to perform AI on his herd.
In March 2017, we ran a webinar on the benefits of using AI in the suckler herd. You can watch again below.
Training providers
Please contact training providers directly to book a course or register your interest
Oakhill Farm Vets, Goosnargh, Preston
Tel: 01772 861300
XL Vets Training Service
Tel: 01228 711788
The Livestock Partnership, Petworth, West Sussex
Tel: 01798 343538
Bainbridge Vets, Askrigg, North Yorkshire
Tel: 01969 650263
Evolution Farm vets, Somerset
Tel: 01278 734828
Embryonics Ltd
Tel: 01606 854411