Dairymen could benefit from shorter 'dry' period

By MANDY SPIKES | Central Texas Edition

Ric Grummer discusses the dry period of a cow to dairy farmers. -Staff photo by Spikes

Feb. 12, 2004 -- Dairy farmers work hard to care for their cows in order for their cows to produce the most milk to sell. During the dry period of a cow, which is typically three weeks before calving until three weeks following calving, a cow is put in a holding area until she is ready to produce milk again. The length of their dry period is usually 60 days, but some researchers are wondering if it would be beneficial for that time frame to be reduced to 30 or 40-days, allowing the farmer to milk his cow sooner.

Ric Grummer, with the department of dairy science at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, WI, spoke to dairy producers around Central Texas on the effects of shortening the dry period of their dairy cattle.

"There is evidence to question if the dry period length for a modern Holstein cow can be reduced from 60 days to 30 days. Recent studies suggest that a 30-day dry period might not significantly alter health, reproduction, and production the next lactation."

Grummer explained that shortening the dry period should be seriously considered for herds that have a low incidence of twinning, practice timed artificial insemination, and have records that can document the history of achieving the targeted number of days in a close-up group with low variability among cows. "A 30- to 40-day dry period seems reasonable for herds that fit those criteria and have the capability of monitoring results of a shortened dry period."

Potential benefits from shortening a dry period, he said, is increased income from milk. "This will occur if the extra income from milk obtained by extending the lactation is greater than lost income if less milk is produced in subsequent lactations."

Other benefits are management-related. "If the dry period can be reduced, the need for a 'far off' dry cow may be eliminated. It can also help with over-crowding of dry cow facilities that are common on farms."

Typically, a dry period lasts from a six to eight week period. "So you might ask yourself, how short of a dry period can we go. The answer depends on economics. A 30-day dry period has been shown to be economically feasible when considering milk yield and consumption. We recommend a 40-day dry period to accommodate cows that have shorter then normal gestation lengths and dry cows' treatments."

Grummer added, "Cows in their second pregnancy may be less likely to successfully negotiate a shortened dry period. Cows with a longer calving interval may be more likely to tolerate a shortened dry period.

"The bottom line is, does it pay to shorten the dry period? If you had a 25,000 pound (of milk) cow taking a five percent loss in milk following a shortened dry period, she would need to make 42 pounds of milk a day during the extra days that lactation was extended. You must decide if your cow is able to produce this amount of milk."