56 Story Idea?Email Paul.Nolan@Farms.com Better Farming | November 2023 Livestock selective dry cow therapy program without them. Reinoud Verhoef, owner of Verhoef Dairy Farm in Belmont, used a selective dry cow therapy program between 2010 and 2020, and has not used any treatment for dry cows in the last two years. “From 2010 to 2020, we were milk testing every month and I had individual SCC on every cow. If it was 100,000 or below, we wouldn’t treat them, and if it was higher I would,” says Verhoef. “In that timeframe, it was a reduction of 50 per cent in treatments. So that was quite a bit.” Verhoef says that he learned about selective dry cow therapy from Dutch dairy magazines and thought it was worth trying. “Since 2021, we haven’t had individual milk testing anymore for SCC. I was losing all that info, so I was a little worried but wanted to try selective treatment without it. Without individual data we thought, ‘Okay, nothing gets treated any more,’” explains Verhoef. “Besides the residue risk if the cow calves earlier than expected, we want to go away from antibiotic use. It’s also a lot cheaper. “It might be 30 dollars a head for antibiotic treatment, and then sealant on top of that might be another 25 dollars a head. I don’t use either so that’s big savings.” Verhoef also explains that management plays a large role in his ability to avoid antibiotic use for dry cows. Management for success “We’ve been on sand since 2005. If you don’t have the cows on sand bedding, I don’t think it would work,” says Verhoef about managing his herd to make selective dry cow therapy a viable option. “Overall, the biggest thing would be hygiene in the barn. Nutrition is important, and our dry cows get fresh feed every day. “We also record everything – hoof trim, ketosis, magnets that go in – any kind of treatment gets recorded from the small things to the big stu you already have to record.” Verhoef also believes that even when cows are being treated at dry-o , it’s best to bring down their milk production ahead of time. “Even if you plan to treat them, I think it’s good to bring them down in production. e combination of reducing the number of milkings and moving them to a dry-o ration works the best,” says Verhoef. “We have implemented one milking per day for four days at dry-o . We milk three times a day and some cows were drying o at 40 litres per day and a lot were bawling for four days. “Every Monday is dry-o day. ey are milked once, go through the hoof trim stall, get tape around their leg for identi cation, and go on a dry cow ration and get milked once on Tuesday, Wednesday and ursday before we take the tape o .” Besides determining if dry cow treatment is necessary, management of dry cows is also extremely important for cow health. “ e big thing in dry cow management is clean facilities,” says Alsop. “Don’t overstock, make sure they have good nutrition, and on hot days be looking at heat abatement. “If cows are producing 20 litres or more, you need to plan to reduce milk production. Cold turkey stopping makes her prone to leaking and therefore infection.” Paibomesai agrees that hygiene is a major consideration for dry cows. “ at is the biggest part, it comes down to hygiene. Stocking densities and stressors, they all play into infection risk,” says Paibomesai. “Work with your vet to help develop protocols for dry cow treatments, and help you decide if your herd is ready to move to selective dry cow therapy.” BF Allowing the mammary gland to recover while avoiding infection, minimizing stress and maintaining proper nutrition sets the basis for a successful lactation. toa555 - stock.adobe.com
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