Why is abrupt dry off better for dairy cow and management?

In recent years, the pressure on livestock farmers around (the way of) dry-off has increased. Genetic selection, nutrition, and overall management have contributed to higher milk yields. However, this also made the milk cessation at the end of lactation more challenging (for high producing cows). The dry period is crucial for ensuring optimal milk yield and udder health in the following lactation. During this time, cows face an elevated risk of developing new (intramammary) infections (figure 1), particularly at the onset of the dry period (Vilar & Rajala-Schultz, 2020).

Using conventional methods to stimulate dry off, has been a commonly used strategy to maintain udder health during the dry period. However, with growing concern about antimicrobial resistance and increased customer interest in animal welfare dry cow management has become even more complex. The dairy industry is now tasked with balancing animal health, welfare and production sustainability into these intensive systems.

Dry-off methods

There are two primary approaches for milk cessation to dry-off.

1. Gradual dry-off (a.k.a. intermittent milking); involves progressively decreasing the frequency of milking over a set period until the final milking before the dry period begins.
2. Abrupt dry-off; which involves stopping milking entirely on a predetermined day based on the cow’s expected calving date and the desired duration of the dry period.

The type of milk cessation method implemented varies widely across countries and herds. Abrupt dry-off is a widely adopted approach as utilized on 74% of the dairy farms in the US, 73% in Germany (Bertulat et al., 2015) and 83% in Scotland (Fujiwara et al., 2018). From a management perspective, abrupt dry-off is straightforward to implement, particularly in large herds with year-round calving, as the process can be completed in a single day. However, it might be more difficult in seasonal herds; managing the labour demands of drying off potentially hundreds of cows in a short period of time. In Finland for example 96% of dairy farmers (Vilar et al., 2018) apply a gradual dry-off protocol (Vilar & Rajala-Schultz, 2020).

Effects of abrupt dry-off on milk yield and SCC

It is often believed that abrupt dry-off has a negative impact on milk yield and somatic cell count (SCC). However, various studies showed that abrupt dry-off did not significantly affect milk yield or somatic cell count in the following lactation in comparison to gradual dry-off (Gott et al., 2017; Combs et al., 2024). Furthermore it is found that cows that are abruptly dried off with high production) continue their higher dry matter intake during the dry period and carry this behaviour into the next lactation. This is beneficial for milk production, as it results in a higher milk yield at the start of the next lactation. Also, a higher dry matter intake during the dry period has a positive effect on the energy levels and thereby the overall health of the dairy cow.

Duration of dry period

The duration of the dry period is a crucial variable for a successful start of the subsequent lactation. Research showed that for the cows with a shorter dry period a decreased milk yield was measured in the next lactation, particularly when the cows were abruptly dried-off.

Cows with shorter than a 45-day dry period produced 3.8 kg/d less milk than cows that were dry ≥65 days and 1.3 kg/d less milk than cows that were dry 55 to 64 days. Cows that were dried-off abruptly and had short dry periods (<45 days) produced significantly less milk than abruptly dried-off cows with longer short periods. No differences in milk yields were observed among gradually dried-off cows with different dry period lengths. No direct impact was found for the method of milk cessation in relation to udder health and productivity.

Impact of abrupt dry-off on stress levels

Even though abrupt dry-off is commonly used in various countries and farms, research shows that there are correlations between abrupt dry-off and dairy cow stress levels, due to udder pressure. As high producing cows seem to experience greater stress during dry-off compared to low-yielding cows, particularly in case of abrupt cessation of milking (Vilar & Rajala-Schultz, 2018; Bertulat et al., 2013). In most cases this stress is expressed in terms of lower feed intake and increase in blood NEFA levels (ketone bodies).

To help farmers in the process of abrupt dry-off and make this process more comfortable for the dairy cows, AHV has designed a revolutionary dry-off solution. The new AHV StopLac Tablet, which is specifically designed to support dairy cows during the dry-off period.

AHV StopLac Tablet

It is commonly know that the transition to a dry cow leads to stress and increased udder pressure, which in turn can lead to discomfort and it raises the risk of milk leakage and bacterial contamination.

By reducing milk production, through temporarily adjusting rumen fermentation, the StopLac Tablet helps alleviate udder pressure, improving the cow’s comfort post dry-off. This promotes an optimal dry-off period, benefiting both udder health and calf development.

Dry better with AHV

4-8 weeks before dry-off

1x AHV Extra Tablet

1x AHV Aspi Tablet

At dry-off

4x StopLac Tablet

References

Bertulat, S., Fischer-Tenhagen, C., Suthar, V., Möstl, E., Isaka, N., & Heuwieser, W. (2013). Measurement of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites and evaluation of udder characteristics to estimate stress after sudden dry-off in dairy cows with different milk yields. Journal of Dairy Science, 96(6), 3774–3787. http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2012-6425

Bertulat, S., Fischer-Tenhagen, C., & Heuwieser, W. (2015). A survey of drying-off practices on commercial dairy farms in northern Germany and a comparison to science-based recommendations. Veterinary Record Open, 2(1), e000068. https://doi.org/10.1136/vetreco-2014-000068

Combs, G. J., Flemming, T. A., Goetz, B. M., Rodríguez-Jimenez, S., Opgenorth, J., Mayorga, E. J., Buol, B. M., Schuling, S. E., Schimek, D. E., & Baumgard, L. H. (2024). 2386 – Pre-dry-off milk yield and its association with future metabolism and productivity. Abstract of the 2024 American Dairy Science Association Annual Meeting. Journal of dairy science, 107(1), 316.

Fujiwara, M., Haskell, M. J., Macrae, A. I., & Rutherford, K. M. D. (2018). Survey of dry cow management on UK commercial dairy farms. Veterinary Record, 183(9), 297. https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.104755

Gott, P. N., Rajala-Schultz, P. J., Schuenemann, G. M., Proudfoot, K. L., & Hogan, J. S. (2017). Effect of gradual or abrupt cessation of milking at dry-off on milk yield and somatic cell score in the subsequent lactation. Journal of Dairy Science, 100(3), 2080–2089. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2016-11444

Vilar, M. J. & Rajala-Schultz, P. J. (2018). Short communication: Drying-off practices and use of dry cow therapy in Finnish dairy herds. Journal of Dairy Science, 101(9), 7487–7493. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2018-14742

Vilar, M. J., & Rajala-Schultz, P. J. (2020). Dry-off and dairy cow udder health and welfare: Effects of different milk cessation methods. The Veterinary Journal, 262, 105503. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2020.105503