The day from which the cow stops giving milk to the day it calves is called as dry period. A normal dry cow does not give milk but it should be in advance pregnancy.The importance of dry period is to give rest to the cow’s udder. It also gives an opportunity to the cow to recuperate its body condition lost during the lactation.Allwing dairy cows a dry period thus results in higher milk production in the succeeding lactation.
An ideal length of dry period is about 60 days. However, in Zebu cattle and buffaloes it is much higher. These animals do not normally need to be dried as they are low milk producers and have shorter lactations which end on their own accord.The high producing crossbred cows and purebred exotic cows need to be dried by using a suitable method.
a) Methods of drying-off cows: There are three methods of drying cows viz. abrupt cessation of milking, intermittent milking and incomplete milking. In abrupt cessation method, the milking of cows is stopped all of a sudden. The build up pressure of milk in the udder causes regression of milk secretary cells.This method is suitable for low to medium milk producing cows. In intermittent milking method, the cows are milked once every second or third day till milk production completely ceases. In incomplete milking, the cows are milked gradually, smaller and smaller quantities of milk spread over a week or so. This method is preferred for high yielding cows.
b) Feeding and management of dry cows: The feeding of the dry-pregnant cow should be aimed at making up the condition of the cow lost during the lactation. Cows that have been properly fed during the dry period produce up to 25 per cent more milk than the cows which have not been conditioned.
Cows which gain about 500 gm of body weight per day during dry period have high milk production in the ensuing lactation. The feeding of cows during dry period should mainly comprise of good quality ad libitum green and dry fodders which may be supplemented with 1-2 kg of concentrate mixture per cow per day depending on the condition of the cow.
The dry-pregnant cow should be housed in a separate comfortable paddock at a lesser stocking rate than for the milch or growing stock. About 15 days before the expected date of calving, the pregnant cows should be transferred to maternity pens for better care and feeding.
An ideal length of dry period is about 60 days. However, in Zebu cattle and buffaloes it is much higher. These animals do not normally need to be dried as they are low milk producers and have shorter lactations which end on their own accord.The high producing crossbred cows and purebred exotic cows need to be dried by using a suitable method.
a) Methods of drying-off cows: There are three methods of drying cows viz. abrupt cessation of milking, intermittent milking and incomplete milking. In abrupt cessation method, the milking of cows is stopped all of a sudden. The build up pressure of milk in the udder causes regression of milk secretary cells.This method is suitable for low to medium milk producing cows. In intermittent milking method, the cows are milked once every second or third day till milk production completely ceases. In incomplete milking, the cows are milked gradually, smaller and smaller quantities of milk spread over a week or so. This method is preferred for high yielding cows.
b) Feeding and management of dry cows: The feeding of the dry-pregnant cow should be aimed at making up the condition of the cow lost during the lactation. Cows that have been properly fed during the dry period produce up to 25 per cent more milk than the cows which have not been conditioned.
Cows which gain about 500 gm of body weight per day during dry period have high milk production in the ensuing lactation. The feeding of cows during dry period should mainly comprise of good quality ad libitum green and dry fodders which may be supplemented with 1-2 kg of concentrate mixture per cow per day depending on the condition of the cow.
The dry-pregnant cow should be housed in a separate comfortable paddock at a lesser stocking rate than for the milch or growing stock. About 15 days before the expected date of calving, the pregnant cows should be transferred to maternity pens for better care and feeding.
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