Dry cow management key to smooth lactation

Dry cow management is the crux to setting cows up for a smooth lactation and yields of more than 12,000kg a cow a year.

 Shropshire producer Andrew Higgins who runs the Widderley Herd of 300 cows, told the British Catle Breeders Club Conference in Telford there are three points of focus; the dry period, calving and post calving.

“If you can get them through this, the next 10 months or so is easy,” he said.

“We’re aiming for a uniform cow and we expect her to produce 38-40.5 litres a day.”

To ensure the fresh cow gets off to the best possible start to achieve these kinds of yields, 40 litres of tepid water and ration are placed in front of her after calving. “If we’re not happy, we’ll pump fluids into her,” he said.

“Intervention at this point will save us milk fevers which could go into metritis or retained cleansings.”

A fresh cow group is also run on a loose straw yard, with protocols in place including temperature and internal checks and monitoring of ketone levels.

Mr Higgins believed staff protocols, routine and consistency were also fundamental to achieving high performance, as well as the obvious natural ability of the cow.