What happens after drying off?
The cows have been
dried off, but what happens next?
They should go
directly to a clean paddock, and not be given the opportunity to lie around in a
contaminated area – remember that the teat canal will take a little while to
close, and the teat plug can take two weeks to develop.
Continue any dietary
restrictions for a few days to ensure the cows do not begin producing more milk
and start leaking from the teats – if they drip milk from the teats, the teat
plug cannot form, and bacteria can get in!
For their dry period,
will they go to a back paddock, perhaps to a “run off” block, or maybe even away
on agistment?
Cows are most
susceptible to new infections in the first week of the dry period. Infections in
the drying-off period must be detected and treated so that they do not persist
and create problems after calving. Infections that develop in the dry period are
often very difficult to cure, especially if left to develop for some time, and
may also “flare up” into serious cases at calving.
Countdown recommends
that cows should be closely observed during the first week of their dry period,
and any swollen quarters (larger then other quarters in the same cow) should be
checked, and if found to have mastitis, they should be immediately treated as if
they were a clinical case during lactation.
It is generally best
not to handle the cows unnecessarily in this period, just to observe the udders.
Moving cows through the milking shed or handling their udders at this time may
stimulate a milk ejection and break the teat seal that is forming.
For the remainder of
the dry period, dry cows should be checked weekly, and once again, any swollen
quarters should be checked and treated if necessary.
Words 310
| 
