 The
effect of a short dry period on the udder
In the current dry conditions,
many farms are making big changes to their herd’s lactation patterns. Some
have groups of cows they plan to “milk on” to get the longest lactation
possible. This raises the question: what is the shortest dry period that should
be planned for these cows?
Cows require a dry period that is
long enough to allow the udder tissue to repair and rejuvenate. During the early
dry period the milk-producing cells reduce to a minimum. New secretory cells are
produced when cows start to ‘freshen’ ready for calving.
Cows need a minimum of six weeks
between drying-off and calving for full regeneration of udder tissue. If cows
are not dried off at all, their milk yield in the next lactation
may drop by as much as 25 to30 percent.
Image: drought2.jpg
Caption: If cows are not dried
off, their milk yield in the next lactation may drop by 25 to 30 percent.
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