Drying off: making it count

With this in mind there are seven approaches to dry-cow fine tuning that will enable a farmer to extract maximum value from time and money, says DairyNZ senior scientist Jane Lacy-Hulburt.

1. Choose the right approach for your herd

Antibiotic dry cow treatment (DCT) and internal teat sealants (ITS) are effective tools – DCT for treating infections in high SCC cows, and DCT or ITS for preventing new infections in low SCC cows.

Take time with your vet in your milk quality review to look at mastitis treatment records, SCC history and the mastitis risk of your wintering/calving system.

For information and recommendations on drying off and deciding your dry cow management strategy, visit dairynz.co.nz/dryingoff.

2. Know the bacteria

Knowledge of the bacteria responsible for clinical cases in spring, or high SCC cows in autumn, is invaluable for more cost-effective decisions about dry cow treatments. Discuss with your vet the right cows to sample and refer to DairyNZ’s Healthy Udder guide for sampling procedures.

3. Re-visit your treatment plan

In recent years, many farmers have successfully trialled combination treatments (where a cow received both DCT and ITS). With a lower milk price, farmers may be re-thinking this approach. Support your investment with other preventative measures – see tips 5, 6 and 7.

4. Consider which DCT products for high SCC cows

Talk to your vet about cost-effective solutions for older, higher SCC cows. The difference in cure rates between different product brands is marginal. Cows with a high SCC don’t necessarily need the more expensive treatment.

5. Support your investment decisions using trained staff

Train your team to administer DCT and ITS with correct hygiene technique. Refer to DairyNZ’s Healthy Udder for step-by-step instructions and ask your vet to provide a training session. Poor technique is not worth the risk of dead cows.

6. Teat spray springers before calving

Teat spraying springers two-three times a week reduces the risk of new mastitis cases at calving. This simple technique benefits protected and unprotected animals. Where practical, it may provide a low-cost approach for extending the benefit of some dry cow products.

7. Milk cows soon after calving

Bringing cows that have just calved into milk within 12 hours greatly reduces the level of clinical mastitis. Although tested on heifers, this solution should work well for mature animals also.

• This article was first published in Inside Dairy April 2015