Comprehensive Bovine Embryo Transfer Training Course

“I just wanted to say I think the tuition for your class was the best money I’ve ever spent for continuing education. I really appreciated the way things were presented. You left no grey areas about which methods and techniques were best.”
Bruce l. Chambers DVM

“I now have calves on the ground from my ET work thanks to you. My conception rate on frozen embryos is in the 60s right now. Thank you for the schooling.”
Doug Giles

“I just wanted to tell you thank you for offering such a great class, this has been a wonderful opportunity for me. Yesterday I saw my first embryo calf born and another is on the way.”
Cheri Kraus

“Thank you for the excellent training that you provided in the art of embryo transfer. Your class was a great success for many reasons – excellent techniques, down to earth instruction, ample laboratory work, small class size, the willingness to provide first class advice and your knowledge of the industry to name a few. Your experience from the earliest days of embryo transfer were fascinating and very helpful.”
Kevin Albrecht

“Implementing embryo transfer into our cattle operation has been an enormous success. We hold Dr. Peter Elsden and The International Embryo Transfer School with our highest regard as they are largely responsible for our accomplishments.”
Bob Stevenson, Stevenson Angus Ranch

"My success rate has equaled that of embryo technicians who have been flushing and implanting embryos for many years."
Ed Willams

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Course Info

Our five day Comprehensive Bovine Embryo Transfer Course is designed to show you the most economical methods of getting a calf on-the-ground using embryo transfer in order to increase your income. You will learn how to select and prepare donors & recipients; and how to collect, recognize, manipulate, classify, freeze, thaw & transfer embryos. We will also show you how to make your own media and how to sterilize and re-use equipment, thus making embryo transfer an economical proposition.

Superovulated cows are provided daily with the opportunity of unlimited flushing & palpation. Unlimited frozen-thawed eggs and embryos are available for additional practice whenever needed. We supply all of the equipment needed for the school and we only use young, fertile cycling cows which are observed for heat every day to ensure optimal results. In order to provide students with quality in-vivo embryos it takes 3 weeks for estrous synchronization and superovulation treatments.

We limit the number of students per school to five. This ensures a high level of teacher/student interaction. Certificates of competency are given after taking the 5 day school & completing the theory & practical techniques of embryo transfer. It takes the average student 5 consecutive days to absorb the instructions & experience the different manipulations in cows & at the microscope when help is needed. The classroom is Wi-Fi enabled, so feel free to bring your laptops.

Our Embryo Transfer course focuses on teaching you the most economical methods to perform embryo transfer e.g. we describe how to make medium for flushing (which only takes 10 minutes to prepare and saves hundreds of dollars), how to wash and sterilize equipment, all proven methods that do not lower results. In fact we show you where to purchase state-of-the-art-instruments (microscope and freezer) plus the laboratory equipment for a total of $3,705 (the same as we use). Our advice on the purchase of drugs & equipment from the most economical sourses will result in considerable savings initially & in the future which will more than cover the tuition.

For those students who need training in AI we offer a combined AI & ET training course. The AI training portion is a one day school held the day before the embryo transfer school. Then the student continues practicing AI for 5 days while learning the embryo transfer methods.

Veterinarians can apply to their state veterinary associations for continuing education credit hours for attending our school (based on 12 hours of lecture and 38 hours laboratory techniques). Many veterinarians have encouraged their clients to attend this school.

Instructor

Our courses are taught by Dr. Peter Elsden a pioneer in the embryo transfer industry in cattle and horses He has co-authored a book on bovine embryo transfer, published over 50 scentific articles on the subject, and regularly publishes articles in cattle magazines. He is a professional teacher who previously was a professor at Colorado State University CSU for many years.
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Key Benefits of Embryo Transfer

To produce more calves from a valuable cow. Donors average between 4 to 6 useable embryos per flush (range 0 to 52 in our experience). The average donor can be superovulated successfully about 6 times per year although there is considerable variation between donors. Pregnancy rates should average 65% in beef, and 75% in dairy cattle.
Changing from grade cattle to pure-bred animals is less expensive using embryo transfer than buying pure-bred cattle.
Circumvention of some types of infertility can be accomplished using embryo transfer techniques.
More calves are produced per dose of semen. Two doses of semen are sufficient per superovulation, which will produce an average of 3.5 calves from fertile donors. For instance, 0.5 doses of semen compared to 2 doses of semen per calf under normal breeding practices.
Prevent disease transmission
Research tool
Embryos are a safe and efficient method of exporting and importing genetic material.
Testing for undesirable recessive traits in the dam.
To obtain bull calves from top cows for young sire programs which identify the best bulls.

Course Syllabus

The complete embryo transfer course is 5 day 50 hrs school consisting of 12 hours lecture and 38 hours hands on training. The first day begins with 4 hours lecture, the remainder of the day is spent flushing cows and learning laboratory techniques. The second to fifth day consist of 2 hours lecture daily with the remaininder of time spent flushing cows and learning laboratory techniques.

Subjects taught are:

Selection of donors & recipients-genetic & physical aspects
Reproductive physiology
Synchronisation of estrus using prostaglandins, progesterones & GnRH
Superovulation-use of follicle stimulating hormones, mechanisms of follicular maturation, ablation & ovulation
Heat detection methods
Breeding strategies and techniques
Methods of embryo & egg recovery
Techniques of transferring embryos-palpation of cervix, uterus, ovaries, follicles & corpora lutea
Preparation of media
Description, preparation & care of stereozoom microscopes
Location, manipulation & classifiaction of embryos
Sanitation of embryos for domestic use & for export
Techniques for cooling embryos for deep frozen storage using ethylene glycol & glycerol
Preparation of frozen-thawed embryos for transfer
Record keeping

Course Hours

Classes start at 8:00 A.M. each day and finish betwen 5:00-6:00 P.M. (depending on the number of embryos collected and student application).

Prerequisites

Their are no acedemic Prerequisites. Competence in AI techniques is an advantage but not a necessity. All one needs is the enthusiasm to learn a new technology.

School Location

Our facilities are located in Senatobia Mississippi, just 35 minutes drive from Memphis International Airport. Students flying in to attend our school will need to fly into Memphis International Airport.

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Transportation & Lodging Info

We offer free transportation service to and from the Memphis International Airport for students attending our school. Upon the receipt of your course deposit, we can book your hotel for you at your request. Rates are approximately $49 per night. Transportation services are provided between local hotels and the International Embryo Transfer School for each day of the course.

Local Hotel:

America's Best Value Inn
Phone: 662-562-5647
Rates: Approximately $49 per night

Course Schedule

Our Comprehensive Bovine Embryo Transfer Training Courses are usually held the first Tuesday of each month. Please select your desired course date on the enrollment form by clicking on the "Enroll" button at the bottom of this page.

The following is a current list of scheduled course dates:

1/10/2012 – 1/14/2012	6/5/2012 – 6/9/2012	11/6/2012 – 11/10/2012
2/7/2012 – 2/11/2012	7/10/2012 – 7/14/2012	12/11/2012 - 12/15/2012
3/6/2012 – 3/10/2012	8/7/2012 – 8/11/2012
4/3/2012 – 4/7/2012	9/11/2012 – 9/15/2012
5/1/2012 – 5/5/2012	10/2/2012 – 10/6/2012

Price

Tuition for the Comprehensive Embryo Transfer Course is: $2,650.00 US Dollars

To enroll click the enroll button and you will select the date you wish to attend on the registration form. You may also add additional courses and products to your cart prior to checkout.

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