Debate over diet for dry cows
Feeding during the dry period can be a minefield. Too much of one thing or too little of another, and it affects health and productivity for months afterwards.
To complicate matters further, there is a scientific argument to split the dry period in two, with transition cows fed a separate ration in the three weeks prior to calving. So which is the best option?
Richard Vecqueray, partner at the Evidence Based Veterinary Consultancy, says there are three main aims to dry cow management.
“The first is to maximise dry matter intake to ensure freshly calved cows have a good appetite immediately after calving.
“The second is to maintain the cows’ body condition, and the third is to control clinical and sub-clinical milk fever through careful mineral balancing.”
Other considerations include reducing stress in the run up to calving, ensuring sufficient trace element supply, and conditioning the rumen to aid the change onto the milking cow diet.
“Dry cow diets should provide adequate fibre and gut fill to reduce the risk of a displaced abomasum after calving, and should be designed to maximise milk yield and fertility in the subsequent lactation.”
However, there are also practical considerations, says Mr Vecqueray. These include labour, housing, available feeds, cost and consistency of feeding. “All of these will affect the ‘best’ dry cow management programme for a given farm. There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to feeding dry cows,” he says.
Feeding Facts
- The dry matter intake of a cow in the 48hrs pre-calving is correlated with peak yield and fertility performance, and inversely correlated with ketosis and displaced abomasum occurrence.
- In the early dry period a 700kg Holstein requires about 110MJ of metabolisable energy a day. This increases to about 125MJ in the three weeks before calving.
- Over-feeding will result in fat cows, while under feeding mobilises fat reserves, causing a build up of ketones and leading to metabolic stress disorders.
Pros and cons of running one or two dry cow groups
One group | Two group | |
Management | Can be easier to manage; less time sorting cows, and fewer rations to prepare. | May be more convenient on some farms, depending on cow numbers and housing. |
Nutritional | Risk of over feeding far-off dry cows and/or under feeding transition cows. | Suitable when cows are dry for >42 days, allowing diet to be matched to far-off and transition cows. |
Stress | Fewer group changes reduce stress. | If stocking density is high, space can be prioritised for transition cows. |
Costs | Reduced labour and machinery costs. | Reduced feed costs through targeted rations. |
Consistency | Consistency is key, and can be best achieved in both one and two group systems depending on infrastructure, diet types and cow numbers. | |
The two ration argument – Julian Beeston, Moreton Hall Farm, Shropshire
Julian Beeston milks 600 cows at Moreton Hall Farm, Market Drayton, Shropshire, and has made some dramatic changes to his dry cow management. “We have almost always been on a two-group dry cow system,” he says. “However, we used to graze far-off dry cows in the summer on a tight paddock with ad-lib straw, and house them in an old yard during the winter, eating big baled silage from late-cut grass.
“Needless to say, there was a great deal of variability at both stages – like many producers, we were treating the far-off dries as an afterthought rather than one of the most important groups on the farm.”
The result, as yields increased, was a high level of post-calving problems such as milk fever, retained membranes and metritis, which all had a knock-on effect on fertility. So in 2011, Mr Beeston erected some new buildings to house the cows throughout their two-month dry period.
“The far-off dries are housed on sand cubicles for five weeks, and fed one ration, and then moved on to a straw yard and transition diet for three weeks before calving,” he says. “We have much better control over their diet, and they are in a better environment with more space, better ventilation and improved feed and water access, all of which helps to reduce stress.”
As well as housing cows, Mr Beeston changed the dry cow ration, and has continued to improve it over the past 12 months. Far-off dry cows now receive 19kg of grass silage, 3.5kg of haylage, 4.5kg of straw, 2kg of rape/soya, and dry cow minerals.
“Prior to the changes the transition cows had been on various DCAB style rations, which while working in part seemed to break down easily,” he says. Balancing the rations was also complicated, when trying to match varying forage quality.
“We needed to get back to basics. The main change made was to completely remove grass silage in this group to control potassium intake, save for a small amount of haylage.” Now, the transition cows get 16kg of maize silage, 3.5kg of haylage, 4.5kg of straw, 2.6kg of rape/soya, DCAB salts and dry cow minerals.
“With the high content of straw and haylage in the diet, it needs to be well processed so we put it through a neighbour’s Roto Grind,” says Mr Beeston.
“We include eight litres of water a head in the transition diet, to ensure the ration is bound together and cannot be sorted.”
Freshly calved cows then move straight on to the milking ration, which includes grass and maize silage, concentrates, caustic wheat and wholecrop.
“There’s been a significant improvement in post-calving issues,” he adds. “Before we changed the system, at worst up to 10% of cows may have exhibited milk fever, or had retained membranes – and up to 50% of fresh calved cows were being presented to the vet and found to have some level of metritis.”
Now, very few cows have such problems, with only cows that have had twins or a difficult calving at risk of metritis. “We still give a calcium bolus to older cows or those carrying twins,” he says.
Mr Beeston says the other reason for running a two-group dry cow system is that it helps save on bedding costs.
“We like to let cows calve in a straw yard where they are settled. The housing/bedding costs would be very high if you did this for all the dry cows.
“We don’t like the practice of getting cows out of cubicles at the point of calving. Once you have two physical groups of dry cows there is no reason not to take advantage of the cost savings available with two rations.”
Farm facts Moreton Hall
- 600 cows calving year-round
- Yield: 10,500 litres
- 415-day calving interval
- Eight-week dry period
The one ration argument – James Simpson, Gildersbeck Farm, Yorkshire
Changing from managing cows in two groups to a single ration has resulted in a reduction in twisted stomach post-calving at Gildersbeck Farm, Leyburn.
James Simpson milks 500 all-year-round-calving, pedigree Holsteins. He used to graze the far-off dry cows over the summer on rough pasture. “They didn’t get any extra feed when grazing, but we’d bring them in three weeks before calving, on to a dry cow ration.”
Twisted stomachs were proving a problem, increasing from four in 2010 to 16 in 2011, so Mr Simpson decided to house cows for the whole 50-day dry period. “We put them all on to the same ration, although we keep the far-off dry cows on cubicles and move them on to straw yards three weeks before calving”
The cows are fed a single ration including 24.8kg of grass silage, 3kg of straw, 8kg of water, 1.5kg of rape meal, 1.2kg of rolled wheat, 1kg of soya/rape, and dry cow minerals.
Since changing his regime, Mr Simpson has noticed a marked reduction in twisted stomachs. “We get the occasional retained membrane, but I can’t remember the last time we had a case of milk fever.
“We’re a lot happier with the cows – but we’re constantly looking to improve on what we’re doing.”
Farm facts Gildersbeck
- 500 cows
- Yield: 10,100 litres
- Calving interval 385 days
- 50-day dry period
- Pregnancy rate 25%
Read how Stuar Rogers is managing dry cows to reduce new mastitis infection and maximise performance after calving