References
The dry period in dairy cows: Effective dry cow management
Effective dry cow management is a crucial part of maximising dairy cow welfare and productivity. It has an impact on calving problems, early lactation metabolic disease, fertility, overall lactation performance and udder health, so getting dry cow management right can set the cow up for a successful lactation It is also one of the areas of farm management where pressure for change is clear. The focus is no longer on the standard 60 day dry period with every cow given dry antibiotics at drying off, instead the focus is on developing a much more flexible system, with shortened dry periods, reduced use of antibiotics and increased use of non-antibiotic teat sealants.
This supplement to Livestock provides a practical guide to some of the key issues associated with developing this flexible system. The first article looks at what the dry period is for with a particular focus on the costs and benefits of shortening the dry period. The next two articles focus on the use of teat sealants and selective dry cow therapy, concentrating not on the science but on the practicalities — how can we increase the use of selective dry cow and internal teat sealants on farm?
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