Links, Teaching and Learning Resources on Cattle Reproduction & Artificial Insemination

 

Dr. Oswin Perera

Animal Production and Health Section

IAEA, Vienna, Austria

 

 

1.       General aspects of cattle reproduction

 

1.1.      Dairy Integrated Reproductive Management (IRM) Manual

 

A comprehensive collection of papers in Hyper-Text Mark-up Language (HTML) and Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF) files on the World Wide Web (WWW; Web).  Suitable for veterinarians and other professional livestock personnel.  Contains papers on dairy cattle (Dairy-IRM nos. 1-26) as well as other livestock and poultry.  Available at the following Universal Resource Locator (URL), which is the Livestock/Poultry site of West Virginia University Extension Service.

 

http://www.wvu.edu/~exten/infores/pubs/livepoul.htm#d

 

1.2.      US National Dairy InfoBase (NDIB) – Published by Agricultural Databases for Decision Support

 

Contains papers on a wide variety of subjects on dairy cattle.  The section on reproduction and AI contains the papers from the IRM manual (see above).  Available on CD-ROM (for sale) and on the Web (by subscription only) as HTML files.  A previous version (National Dairy Database) can be viewed at:

 

http://www.inform.umd.edu/EdRes/Topic/AgrEnv/ndd/reproduc/

 

1.3.      Smallholder Dairying in the Tropics – Book by International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)

 

            Available as HTML files on the Web.  Contains chapters covering all aspects of smallholder dairy production (e.g. production systems, socio-economics, breeds and selection, forage production and feeding, health, reproduction, herd recording, milking and milk products, marketing, sustainability and research priorities).  Chapter 13 is on “Management of Reproduction”.

 

            http://www.cgiar.org/ilri/dbtw-wpd/fulldocs/smhdairy/smhdairy.htm

 

1.4.      Encyclopedia of reproduction – Academic Press

 

            Available on-line on the Web; contains a comprehensive coverage of all aspects of reproduction (including human, other mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, etc.).

 

            http://www.academicpress.com/refer/embryo/repope.htm

 

1.5.      Veterinary Education and Information Network (VEIN) – University of Sydney

 

            Contains HTML and PDF files on a range of topics in veterinary science.  The section on Reproduction includes: AI (in bitches!), reproductive pathology, reproduction images and spermatology.

 

            http://origin.library.usyd.edu.au/VEIN/links/reproduction.html

 

1.6.      Theriogenology images (Kansas State University)

 

Photos and images of animals, reproductive organs, instruments, etc. related to reproduction and AI.  These can be saved as *.jpg files for use in teaching/training.  The quality of some images (resolution) is low when enlarged.

 

http://www.vet.ksu.edu/media/images/therio/

 

1.7.      Learning reproduction in farm animals - Multi-media CD-ROM (Dr. Rodney Giesert)

 

            Two versions are available, one for students and the other for instructors.  Contains text, illustrations, video clips, and sets of lecture slides in PowerPoint.

 

            http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/reprod/

 

1.8.      Reproductive biology animations (Oklahoma State University)

 

            Animated sequences of physiological processes such as ovarian cycle, hypothalamo-pituitary axis, luteolysis, fertilization, sperm development, etc.

 

            http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/resource-room/reprod/all/animations/index.htm

 

1.9.      Individual Infertile Cow – CD-ROM

 

            Produced by CLIVE (Computer-aided Learning in Veterinary Education) and authored by Prof. David Noakes, University of London Veterinary School.  Contains definitions, guidelines for investigations, diagnosis, treatment and management f the individual infertile cow.  Available through Blackwell Scientific, cost UK Pounds 50.

 

            http://www.clive.ed.ac.uk/catalogue/program.asp?PRG_Id=158

 

1.10.    Publications of US Universities on Reproduction of Dairy Cattle

 

            These publications are available as PDF or HTML files of papers, leaflets, etc.  Most of the information is suitable for use by veterinarians and livestock professionals, but needs modification for technicians and extension workers in developing countries.

 

 

1.10.1. University of Florida

http://www.dps.ufl.edu/Pub/dairy_pubs.htm

            http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MENU_DS:REPRODUC

 

1.10.2. Pennsylvania State University

http://www.das.psu.edu/reproduction/

 

1.10.3. Purdue University

http://www.ansc.purdue.edu/dairy/repro/repropub.htm

            http://www.ansc.purdue.edu/dairy/genetics/genetpub.htm

 

1.10.4. Virginia Tech

http://www.ext.vt.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Docs.woa/wa/getcat?cat=ir-lpd-da-rep

 

1.10.5. University of Georgia

http://www.ads.uga.edu/groups/dairy/SubCats/mreproduce.htm

http://www.ads.uga.edu/groups/dairy/SubCats/hreproduce.htm

 

1.10.6. University of Kentucky

http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/AnimalSciences/dairy/extension/dairynutindex.html

 

1.10.7  University of Michigan

http://www.canr.msu.edu/dept/ans/Home/Dairy/Extension/extension.htm

 

1.10.8  Missisipi State University

http://www.msstate.edu/dept/ads/research/dri.html

 

1.10.9. University of Nebraska

http://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/Dairy/#BREEDING

 

1.10.10. Cornell University

http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/dm/repro/repropub.html

 

1.10.11. Oklahoma State University

http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/exten/dairy/

 

1.10.12. University of Wisconsin

http://www.wisc.edu/dysci/uwex/rep_phys/pubs/pubs.htm

 

 

2.       Artificial Insemination and Heat Detection

 

2.1.      FAO - Small Scale Dairy Farming Manual

 

            Available as HTML files on the Web.  A comprehensive training manual for extension workers and technicians, with simple line drawings (cartoons!) and text which can be used also for farmer training.  Produced by the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Region in Bangkok.  Volume 4, Unit 6.1 is on “AI of Dairy Cattle and Buffalo”

 

            http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/FAOINFO/AGRICULT/AGA/AGAP/Dairyman/Dairy/content.html

 

2.2.      Cattle Breeding Technologies- Book by Genetics Australia

 

            This book (which was originally published in paper format), containing an overview of traditional and modern breeding technologies, is also available on the Web as HTML and PDF files.

 

            http://www.genaust.com.au/technologies.htm

 

2.3.      Video course on AI – by Gene Baker, Breednet, USA

 

            Includes anatomy, heat detection, AI technique and equipment.  Instructions aimed mainly at US farmers wishing to learn “Do-it-yourself” AI.  In PAL or NTSC systems, cost $ 58.

 

            http://www.breednet.com/baker_video.htm

 

2.4.      Multimedia AI Tutorial – Interactive CD-ROM from Ohio State University

 

            Covers the basics of AI, with text, illustrations, video clips and sound.  Contains quizzes and an index.  For Windows operating system, cost $ 110.

 

            http://www-cms.ag.ohio-state.edu/4DACTION/WEB_InventoryIndividualDisplay/483CD

 

2.5.      Leaflets on reproductive performance, semen handling, AI, etc.

 

            See publications of US Universities listed under 1.10. above.  An example of a good collection is the one by Virginia Tech (1.10.4), available at:

 

            http://www.ext.vt.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Docs.woa/wa/getcat?cat=ir-lpd-da-rep