DCRC’s October 24 webinar focuses on reproductive economic markers

“Economic markers for dairy cattle reproductive performance” headlines the Oct. 24 Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council (DCRC) webinar. The webinar starts at 1 p.m. Central time (USA/Canada). Victor Cabrera, University of Wisconsin-Madison professor and extension specialist in dairy management, will serve as the instructor for this free, one-hour webinar.

During the webinar, Cabrera will discuss how reproductive improvement results in higher milk productivity and, therefore, higher milk income over feed cost, more calf sales, and lower culling and breeding expenses. Therefore, as the reproductive efficiency improves, the dairy herd’s net return increases. To help dairy managers and consultants make objective herd management decisions, customizable decision support tools should be used. These tools help users calculate the value of a pregnancy, the cost of a pregnancy loss, the economic value of improving the 21-day pregnancy rate, the cost of a day open, and their interactions with milk production and other productive, economic, and management traits.

Key learning objectives for this webinar include:

1. Learn about available dairy decision support tools (e.g., https://dairymgt.cals.wisc.edu).
2. Understand how to use dairy decision support tools.
3. Realize the importance of using dairy decision support tools and how they can help improve reproductive performance, milk production, and animal health.

Cabrera combines applied research, interdisciplinary approaches, and participatory methods to deliver practical, data-driven, user-friendly, and scientific decision support tools for dairy farm management. Prior to starting his career at UW-Madison, he served as an assistant professor at New Mexico State University, extension program planner for the Inter-American Development Bank, Peru, and agricultural educator and extension agent at Valle Grande Rural Institute, Peru. Cabrera earned his bachelor’s degree from La Molina Agrarian University, Peru, and master’s degree and PhD from the University of Florida.

To register for this webinar, go to: https://bit.ly/DCRCOct24Cabrera. If you are a DCRC member and cannot attend the live program, you may access the webinar at www.dcrcouncil.org after Nov. 7.

Veterinarians may earn one Registry of Approved Continuing Education (RACE) credit for attending this DCRC webinar. To learn more about this opportunity, contact JoDee Sattler at: jodee@dcrcouncil.org.

For more information about DCRC’s webinars, e-mail Raphael Saraiva, DCRC Education Committee chair, at: raphael.saraiva@stgen.com or e-mail DCRC at: jodee@dcrcouncil.org.

The Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council is focused on bringing together all sectors of the dairy industry – producers, consultants, academia and allied industry professionals – for improved reproductive performance. DCRC provides an unprecedented opportunity for all groups to work together to take dairy cattle reproduction to the next level.