Herd Health

We’ve been trying a different protocol on dairy heifers for the final month pre-calving. Here is a personal rendition of why we tried this new approach, how social media responded and what we’ve been learning.

The “transition period” is the point in time when a dairy cow transitions from pregnant and not milking to milking and not pregnant. It is somewhat akin to launching a rocket from a standstill to orbit in a matter of weeks.

It’s the middle of winter and your dairy cows have likely dealt with seasonal lameness this fall. This has probably led to lower production levels, weaker reproductive performance and a pile of bills for additional hoof trims, wrappings and other treatments.

There’s no debate that dairy farming relies on cycles. From the time of day cows are milked and fed to the timing of heats and breeding, everything has a time and a place.

Postpartum disease and disorders may pose a threat to dairy cows, negatively affecting culling, lactation and reproductive performance. Approximately one-third of dairy cows have at least one clinical disease (e.g., metritis, mastitis, digestive issues and respiratory problems) during the first three weeks of lactation.

In response to industry and consumer calls for more judicious antibiotic use, additional research has gone into selective dry cow treatment (SDCT).