Obafemi Awolowo University hosts artificial insemination workshop
A two-day artificial insemination workshop was hosted by the DAIRYCHAIN OAU team on the 12th and 13th of September, 2015. The event represented a major effort towards the resuscitation of the Dairy Unit of the Teaching and Research Farm, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Nigeria, which has been moribund for over three decades.
Highlights of the workshop events included; evaluation of bovine semen, brief lecture on oestrous synchronization and artificial insemination of dairy cows followed by the practical demonstration of AI. A total of 60 participants, including staff, undergraduate and postgraduate students of the Department of Animal Sciences, OAU, Ile-Ife attended the Workshop.
The workshop started with a laboratory session in the Animal Reproductive Laboratory of the Department of Animal Sciences, where evaluation of the quality
of the bovine (Holstein) semen was done. The semen was examined for motility under the microscope. The demonstration of the procedure was led by Dr. S.I. Ola and Dr. (Mrs.). B.O. Oyebanji. This was followed by a brief lecture on AI by Jonathan Jatau, who explained the importance of the established procedures including oestrus synchronization. He described the different methods of semen collection including electro-ejaculation, massaging, use of a dummy cow, etc, stressing the merits and demerits of each. He also covered semen evaluation for morphology, motility, volume, colour in order to determine its suitability for insemination. The process of semen storage was also described in details. The facilitators described all the steps involved in the A I procedure, emphasizing all those steps that contribute to successful insemination of cows. Steps and procedures that could hinder the success of AI were also explained. participants were exposed to the AI kit and a detailed explanation of the use of all the devices inside given. This was followed by a demonstration of the actual process of semen collection, evaluation, and insemination of cows. a total of 11 cows were successfully inseminated. The same process of AI was repeated the second day in
order to ensure high success rate of conception of the cows.
