What will the cows be producing at drying-off?

The Countdown Downunder Farm Guidelines give us three recommendations relating to dealing with cows according to their production approaching drying off.
1. Dry-off cows as soon as their production reaches 5 litres or less per day
2. Cease milking cows producing 12 litres or less per day at drying-off
3. Take steps for cows producing more than 12 litres/day, to reduce production to 12 litres or less by the drying-off date.

In a “normal” year, it is often the second and third points that are our main concern, with many farmers enquiring about the best strategy for reducing a cow’s production below 12 litres/day, without losing too much body condition.

But for some severely drought-affected herds producing at relatively low levels, the first point may be a significant consideration at this drying-off.

A cow producing less than 7 litres/day is trying to dry herself off. Continued milking of these cows prevents teat plug formation and makes them more prone to new infections. Cows producing less than 5 litres/day may also significantly increase bulk milk cell counts (BMCC), even when they do not have mastitis, due to cells concentrating in the reduced volume of milk.

So farmers should aim to dry-off cows as soon as their production reaches 5 litres or less per day.

Cows that are still producing more than 12 L/day of milk approaching drying-off can also pose a problem for farmers and will require special management.

Reducing the plane of nutrition prior to drying-off can reduce milk yields by up to 30% and is a more effective management tool for reducing milk yields of high producing cows than once daily milking.

In high producing cows it is recommended that most, if not all, supplementary feed (especially concentrates), ceases at least one week before drying-off. This requires a balance in the ration to achieve the reduction in milk yield while maintaining sufficient energy for a cow that is 7-8 months pregnant in order to maintain body condition.

Water must not be restricted to dry cows off – this breaches animal welfare codes, and furthermore, veterinarians in some districts have reported outbreaks of Salmonellosis associated with restricting water intake.

Management changes, such as grazing cows in different mobs or unfamiliar paddocks or altering their routine, such as milking them at a different time, can accelerate drying-off.

However, do not use skip-a-day milking to dry cows off. Once-a-day milking should also be avoided unless it is absolutely necessary in order to reduce production prior to drying off - wherever possible, cows should be milked as usual at each milking until drying-off.

Intermittent milking provides a stimulus to the cow to continue to produce milk and impedes the development of the teat plug to seal the quarter in the dry period.

Research has shown that the risk of mastitis is greatly increased if cows are milked every second day.

There may be potential to consider a role for the use of a teat sealant in high producing herds or cows – your vet can best advise you on this aspect.

Clearly there is a role for careful planning and appropriate nutritional and veterinary advice to deal with higher producing cows.

 

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