Historically, abruptly discontinuing milking was the most common way to start the dry period. There were a few who milked the cow again a week later before administering dry treatment. Some milked once a day for a week. In tie stall barns we could take the concentrates away, and some even disabled the drinking cups. But frankly, drying off cows that milked 30 pounds per day was not that difficult. Times have changed. It is not uncommon for cows to finish their lactations at well over 60 pounds per day. In general, cows are more persistent in robots than in parlors so the challenge is even bigger. Research shows that higher production at dry off leads to more mastitis in the next lactation. Research also shows that a combination of reduced milking frequency and reduced nutrient density is the most effective way to reduce milk production at dry off. Robotic milking provides tools for both. Here are some tips for using those tools.
Reducing Milking Frequency
Robotic milking systems can automatically reduce milking frequency before dry off. This involves 3 variables – expected yield, milking interval, and days before dry off. Most late lactation cows will be milking between 2 and 3 times per day. Reducing milking frequency for them means less than 2 times per day. Both yield and interval need to be set accordingly. Milking interval should be more than 12 hours. Max number of milkings should be less than 2. Expected yield for a sixty-pound cow will have to be more than 30 pounds. Milking frequency should be reduced for at least one week. Determine whether your robot software defines late lactation in terms of days before dry off or days before calving. Consider how frequently you dry cows off on your farm. Verify that the gestation length in your robot software is accurate for your farm. If you are using herd management software, make sure the information it sends to your robot software is accurate – especially if you are transferring embryos. Automatic milking permission can take care of most cows. It might be necessary to remove some cows from automatic milking permission for best results.
Reducing Nutrient Density
Feed tables can be set to reduce feed in the robot at the end of lactation. First, the end of lactation must be defined accurately. Everything that applies to milking permission applies here. Next, how much does robot feed need to be reduced, how quickly, and for how long. Reducing milking frequency may reduce available pellets in and of itself, depending on the maximum allowed per visit. As a general guide, for cows receiving more than 7 pounds of robot feed per day, I prefer reducing to 1/3 in 3 days and holding that level for at least 3 days before dry off. Some cows will get more than 3 days if cows are dried off once a week. Robot programs may reduce feed to match the feed table each day or they may reduce feed according to the daily steps defined in feed settings. Either can work, but you need to know which one is happening on your farm and plan accordingly. Reducing robot feed will be less effective for cows receiving less than 7 pounds of robot feed. There is less to take away, and cows may eat enough PMR to replace the robot feed. Cow level settings can be used, but avoid micromanaging and don’t forget to reset them when the cow freshens.
Adjusting milking permission and feed availability are tools to reduce milk production to make dry-off less stressful for the cow. Remember that efforts to reduce milking frequency may turn late lactation cows into fetch cows. You can’t have it both ways. Commercial products which induce mild acidosis and reduce dry matter intake can be effective and might be a fit for your program. Contact Cow Corner for help building a program to ease your cows into the dry period.
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