Heard about a shorter dry period?

The custom of having 60 days dry between lactations is a traditional practice in dairy management. The suitability of the practice for today's cows, however, has been questioned recently. Several studies examined the possibility of shortening or eliminating the dry period from the lactation cycle. The basic idea is that a shorter dry period will have the benefit of more milk due to extended milking days if production in the subsequent lactation is not compromised. A short dry period may also provide an opportunity to reduce ration changes, and therefore improve the animal's health condition during the transition period. Further, if the cow is continuously milked, her feed intake would stay high, and she would have less chance to develop metabolic disorders. With these considerations, re-evaluation of the dry period has been based on milk production in the subsequent lactation and the health status of the cow around calving.

While some of the studies showed no reductions in milk yield when the dry period was reduced from 60 to 30 days, some did show a reduction. Some other studies examined elimination of the dry period and showed substantial reductions in milk yield during the subsequent lactation, especially for first lactation heifers. When a 60-day dry period and a 40-day dry period were compared, a field study showed similar milk yields during the subsequent lactation. In addition, some farms have reportedly practiced 45 days dry, and observed improvements in herd health. Overall, it is clear that a dry period is still needed, but a 60-day length may not be necessary.

Reducing the dry period length has some potential benefits, mainly related to increased proportion of the milking herd and improved transition health. At this time, producers may want to try a 45-day dry period, while waiting for more research results that validate a 30-day dry period. For a more detailed discussion of the issue, see the article entitled "Is a shorter dry period possible?" at dasweb.psu.edu/pdf/das04-74.pdf.