Dry off can be a trying time. It’s the end of a long season for cows and farmers, and everyone is ready for a break. Its important to keep focused though because drying off is the most critical time to set you and your cows up for a smooth season next year.
When we dry cows off, we tend to focus on turning off the tap – getting them to stop producing milk in preparation for calving again. However, this is also a golden opportunity to set them up for next season by taking steps to prevent and cure mastitis, improve immunity, and decrease the production challenge from parasites.
In the NZ system, cows are most likely to pick up new mastitis infections around drying off, and around calving. Making sure that we get their nutrition right to support their pregnancy while turning off the tap is key to preventing some of those infections. Using Teatseal® in all your cows also has been proven to prevent infections both at dry off and around calving. The global focus on preserving antibiotics to prevent the development of resistance means that we should only be treating cows with existing infections with antibiotics – not using them to prevent new infections when we have Teatseal.
The second thing we should focus on is building their immunity. Ensuring your cows are vaccinated against leptospirosis and clostridial diseases before the high risk winter period can ensure you and your herd are protected from deadly diseases. Vaccinating cows against calf scours also provides specific antibodies to protect calves against common and deadly diseases such as rotavirus – as long as the calves get their gold colostrum!
Lastly, we should focus on decreasing the parasite burden, particularly on lighter or more susceptible cows. Ideally treatment would be in March/April, allowing cows to start putting on condition before they are too heavily pregnant. In herds with winter lice problems, treatment pre-dry off may be more appropriate. Using a nil withholding, long acting product such as Cydectin® Pour on allows the flexibility to treat the right cows at the right time.
If we take the time to ensure our cows dry off well, we can rest easy knowing that they are prepared for next season. If you want any information about how to best manage your cows around dry off please talk to your local vet.
