Preparing for dry off
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3 min read
Planning and preparing for dry-off is essential to set the herd up for success next season. It is important to undergo careful planning, proper execution, and good follow-up to protect cow health, improve efficiency, and ensure the herd is well prepared for the next lactation.
The dry period allows the udder to repair and rejuvenate after lactation, and good management during this time has a major impact on mastitis risk for the following 6–12 months. A well-planned dry-off should be spread over several days or weeks, carried out by trained people, and done in suitable weather conditions. Dry cow therapy (DCT) must be administered hygienically, with treatments clearly marked and recorded, and teats sprayed well afterwards.
Before drying off
In the months before drying off, consider these decisions:
- Which cows will need to be dried off early, and when?
- Which cows need to be culled based on this year's mastitis records?
- What dry cow treatment approach to use?
- How will milk yields be reduced in the last 1-2 weeks before drying off?
- Who will administer the dry cow treatments?
- How will cows be managed for the first 3 weeks after drying off?
Dry cow management strategies
Calculate dry- off dates so that all cows get at least a 6-8-week dry period, to allow enough time for the udder tissue to repair and rejuvenate. Dry off high somatic cell count (SCC) cows early to help manage bulk milk SCC.
Collect information to assess your current situation and consult with your vet to decide the best dry cow strategies for your farm. DairyNZ, vets and milk companies support the appropriate use of antibiotics at dry-off to ensure their long-term effectiveness. Your vet can help you reduce antibiotic use on your farm, while maintaining milk quality. For most herds, selective antibiotic dry cow therapy will be appropriate.
Drying off abruptly - Consider drying cows off that are producing less than 5 litres a day. Ensure their feeding levels are reduced to reduce milk production.
Cows that may receive antibiotic DCT include:
- Cows treated for clinical mastitis in the last dry period or in current lactation.
- Cows or heifers with 1 or more high individual cow SCC, or cows with a positive RMT result.
Other factors that may influence DCT use:
- Other test results, e.g. culture results or information about pathogens present in the herd.
- Cows over 4 years old and milk production over 15 L at the last herd test.
- Cows with visible teat end damage.
Product options include antibiotic Dry Cow Therapy (DCT), which is used to treat existing infections, and Internal Teat Sealants (ITS), which are used to protect quarters from new infections in the dry period.
Protecting cows with low SCC
Low somatic cell count (SCC) cows are likely to be uninfected with significant or major pathogens, but they are at risk of becoming infected over the dry period. Internal teat sealant alone is the best option for these animals.
Even if a quarter is infected at dry-off, many infections will still clear up over the dry period with an internal teat sealant on its own. Research summarised in Technote 14 shows cure rates with ITS alone were high (around 85–90%) and close to those achieved when dry cow therapy (DCT) was used alongside ITS (over 90%). This was seen for both minor bacteria such as CNS and Corynebacterium, and major bacteria such as Strep. uberis.
Speak to your vet before making dry off decisions for your low cell count cows.
Research completed has tested the impact of doing nothing, using internal teat sealant alone, DCT alone, or a combination of DCT and teat sealant. Cows that had herd test SCC below 250,000 cells/ml during the lactation were in the study.
Around 16% of cows in the 'Do nothing' treatment group were diagnosed with clinical mastitis during the dry period, or within the first 30 days of the next lactation.
By comparison, all 3 treatment groups had only about 4% of cows diagnosed with clinical mastitis within the first 30 days of the next lactation.
Selecting cows to cull
A realistic annual culling benchmark is 1-2% of total cows in the herd, to support good mastitis control. Consider culling cows that have had 3 or more cases on clinical mastitis in the lactation or have had high SCC in two consecutive lactations.
10 steps for a smooth dry-off
Dry off in manageable groups
Spread the task over several days or weeks to manage feed budgets and people. If you’re transporting cows by truck and trailer immediately after dry-off, set the group size by the number that can fit comfortably in a single truck/trailer unit.
Roster on extra staff
Work on the basis that one person can comfortably clean and treat about 15 to 20 cows/hour, for a maximum of two hours. A spare person to mark cows, hold tails, provide spare tubes, and keep track of cows being treated is invaluable.
Training and support for drying off
Make sure the right skills are in place by providing practical training for staff or bringing in experienced professionals when needed. Your vet practice may offer vet technicians to help with drying off large mobs or offer training for farm teams, find out if your practice offers this.
Choose dry days for drying off
Check the weather forecast before finalising dry-off days and postpone for a day or two if it’s raining. Getting teats clean when the udder is dripping water is almost impossible and may increase the risk of cows getting sick.
Treat cows after milking
Don’t start using dry cow antibiotics if milk is still going into the vat. Draft cows out and bring them back in when the pipe is disconnected. If you’re doing a large mob, wash down the platform before bringing them back in, to reduce dirt being splashed onto cows’ teats.
Follow 'MRS T' (mark, record, separate, treat)
All treatments need to be recorded. Marking cows that receive dry cow therapy (DCT) is especially important if only parts of the herd are being dried off.
Wear gloves
Gloved hands are much easier to keep clean, which reduces the spread of bacteria between teats and animals.
Clean teats immediately before treatment
Keep the time between cleaning and treating a teat as short as possible, to avoid treating a dirty teat. Clean and treat one teat before moving onto the next. Work on the back teats first, then the front; this helps reduce the chance of contaminating teats. Use the Healthy Udder guide to remind the team about the best way to administer products and see the administering dry cow treatments page for more information.
Teat spray after treatment
Dedicate one person to do this task well. Use freshly made-up teat spray and ensure full coverage of each teat.
Aftercare
Always put cows in clean areas after giving DCT and feed cows their maintenance diet for the first 7-14 days after drying off. Keep a close eye on your cows for signs of mastitis. Do regular visual checks and manual checks on anything that has a swollen quarter. Treat any clinical cases and seek veterinary help if any cows are unwell or deteriorate quickly.
Additional resources
Selective DCT poster for rural advisers
Resources
Mastitis
Selective DCT poster for rural advisers
Seek professional advice if problems persist - Smartsamm Technote 13
Resources
Mastitis
Seek professional advice if problems persist
Decide dry cow management strategy - Smartsamm Technote 14
Resources
Mastitis
Decide dry cow management strategy
Healthy Udder Guide
Resources
Mastitis
This guide provides practical "step by step" tips for preventing, finding and treating mastitis.
Additional links
Administering Dry Cow Treatments
/animal/mastitis/administering-dry-cow-treatments/
Tools and tactics for a successful dry-off
/news/tools-and-tactics-for-a-successful-dry-off/
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