The only course in the world which trains non-veterinarians to use ultrasound equipment to scan pregnant cows is taking place at Nottingham Trent University. People from as far as Australia and Norway are travelling to the university’s Brackenhurst campus to take part in the four-day programme.
The course, which is approved by both the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) provides students with a DEFRA licence to become scanner operators.
Students will be using the equipment on the university’s award-winning herd of Jersey cows. They will learn about location and recognition of pregnancy, physiology of reproduction, foetal development, animal handling and welfare, and gestational age estimation. They will also be taught the theory and physics of ultrasound and operator hygiene and disease control.
Ray Rochester, of animal reproduction and fertility consultants Vetsonic, will be the course tutor.
He said: “One of the prime objectives of the course is to ensure the safety of both the cow and the technician. Once they receive the DEFRA licence these people will still need to perform 150 supervised scans with a qualified scanner or vet before they can go it alone.”
Jenny Stedman, from the Business Development Unit at Brackenhurst, said: “At a time when farmers need to ensure maximum productivity during the breeding cycle of their herds, the use of scanners to detect pregnancy at a very early stage is becoming increasingly important.”