History of the development of the Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council (DCRC) and impacts of the DCRC on dairy cattle reproductive management

Abstract Text: The DCRC was founded in 2006 in response to a decline in lactating dairy cow fertility that was occurring worldwide. The initial founders included academicians, allied industry professionals, veterinarians, and producers. The established goals of the organization are to educate and provide support for the development and implementation of new technologies that will sustain and improve reproduction in dairy cows and heifers. The organization is guided by a series of principles that were established by its founding members, the most important of which was to be science-based and non-commercial. The group is inclusive and seeks to involve all individuals with an interest in dairy reproduction. A professional and discounted student membership is offered. Members have full access to past proceedings and newsletters. Officers, directors, and committee members of the DCRC serve on a voluntary basis. There are four primary mechanisms through which the DCRC achieves its stated goals. First, a meeting is held annually that includes invited presentations on relevant topics. An invited poster session is also held during the meeting. The meeting is moved to different locations within the United States to facilitate participation by individuals from different dairy regions. Second, an awards competition is sponsored that identifies and recognizes dairy herds with the best reproduction by using objective criteria. Awardees are invited to participate in the annual meeting and are also recognized in trade magazines. Third, resource materials are prepared that include protocol sheets with diagrams of reproductive protocols for both dairy cows and heifers. The protocols depicted on the sheets are vetted annually by a committee so that the information is current and based on the most-recent scientific findings. The protocol sheets are printed in both English and Spanish languages. Finally an electronic newsletter is published six times each year that includes a president’s message, research summaries, technical information, a member profile, and a meeting calendar. The 2015 meeting held in Buffalo, NY was the largest meeting to date. The continued growth of the DCRC and recognized improvements in dairy reproduction in the past 10 years speak to the success of the organization.

Keywords: dairy, cow, fertility