Dry cow

Often seen as an unproductive period, drying up is nevertheless a transitional period for dairy farming. Drying up, defined by the cessation of milk secretion and the regeneration of mammary tissue, conditions the future lactation of the cow. It is therefore essential not to neglect this period to properly prepare the cow and reduce the risk of developing pathology in early lactation. For this, the rationing control is the key to success.

Drying up is divided into two rationing phases:

• The first phase, commonly known as the “far-off”, takes place between the 8th and 3rd week before calving. This period corresponds to a sharp decrease in the energy requirements of the dry cow. The diet supplied is therefore deconcentrated in energy but enriched in fiber to maintain a sufficient congestion level.
• The second phase, called “close-up”, includes the last 3 weeks of gestation. As the intake decreases, an energetic densification of the diet is necessary. At the same time, the rumen of the dry cow must be adapted to the diet of dairy cows. It is also during this period that it is important to work on the dietary cation anion difference (DCAD) of the diet to avoid metabolic disorders such as milk fever or hypomagnesemia.