Drying off and calving are two key opportunities in the lactation cycle to make a significant difference to milk quality and mastitis control.

These events vary from once or twice a year in seasonal and split calving herds, through to regular weekly or monthly events in year-round calving herds.

Traditionally many of us think of mastitis control at drying off in terms of the treatment options available, but the most effective mastitis control comes from also getting the other aspects of drying off as close to best practice as possible.

Factors such as the level of a cow’s production at drying off, the feed available after drying off, the weather at drying off and during the dry period, will all be different from one drying off to the next.

This means that every drying off is different!! 

Just applying the same procedure as the last time will not necessarily be right!

 Key messages:

§               Drying of is one of the key opportunities to make a difference to milk quality and mastitis control

§               Every drying off is different from the previous one

§               Each cow is slightly different at drying off – but cows can be grouped for management

§               Successful drying off is about more than just treatment options and treating cows

§               The use of appropriate planning and advice can make a difference

Contents

1. Why is drying off so important?
   

2. All cows are not the same at drying off!
   

3. What will cows to be dried off actually be producing at drying off?
   

4. Successful drying off is much more than just treating cows
    

5. Successful drying off treatment strategies
    

6. What happens after drying off?

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