Modern Dry-off Success: Four Trends Driving Better Cow Care
Modern Dry-off Success: Four Trends Driving Better Cow Care
How these forward-thinking dairies are solving today’s dry-off challenges.
“It’s time to ask ourselves, ‘What can we do better at dry-off?’” said Linda Tikofsky, DVM, Boehringer Ingelheim. “We’re more attuned to animal well-being today, and that’s reshaping our approach.”
Dr. Tikofsky works with dairies across the country and sees consistent trends among those with the most success. Here are four practices she sees shaping today’s most effective dry-off protocols:
1. Prioritizing cow comfort as nonnegotiable
An increased focus on cow comfort has been one of the more significant dry-off protocol shifts in the past few decades, according to Dr. Tikofsky.
“Cows dried off while giving large amounts of milk may experience serious discomfort,” she explained. “They vocalize more and are less likely to lie down. From a well-being standpoint, we’re addressing those concerns more these days.”
High-producing cows are also more likely to leak milk, even when using a teat sealant, and are at higher risk for mastitis post-calving.
Progressive producers like Ben Smith, owner of Cool Lawn Farm in Bealeton, Virginia, are prioritizing cow comfort by improving dry cow facilities, enhancing cooling and implementing new protocols to reduce milk production at dry-off.
“Cow comfort is the most important part of dry-off,” said Smith. “Antibiotics and treatments can help, but I don’t think any of it matters if you don’t make cow comfort a priority.”
2. Emphasizing collaborative decision-making
Decision-making on the dairy is no longer a one-person job. Many of the most successful farms rely on their team of experts with specialized knowledge to enhance performance.
“Farms today have different departments, with experts heading up each one: calf specialists, parlor manager, feeding personnel,” stated Dr. Tikofsky. “They are the best of the best in their specific area. And we’re bringing a bigger think tank to the table with outside consultants.”
This collaborative decision-making is driving better dry-off performance for many farms. “The farms I see doing the best job are collaborating with their veterinarian to review records, monitor disease incidences and tweak dry-off protocols,” noted Dr. Tikofsky.
At Larson Acres in Evansville, Wisconsin, their veterinarian was integral in their decision-making when they were looking to improve cow comfort at dry-off. “We select products if they are recommended by our veterinarian,” said Jim Trustem, the farm’s herd manager. “We go to our vet for the final answer and ask, ‘Is this worth doing?’ and our vet says, ‘Yes.’”
3. Monitoring metrics that matter
Success isn’t anecdotal — it’s measured. Dr. Tikofsky said many of her customers are measuring their dry-off success by evaluating mastitis incidence and somatic cell counts (SCC) post-freshening.
“Start by looking at your data to see where you are now and where you want to go,” she recommended. “What’s the weak point you can address?”
Dr. Tikofsky suggested aiming for less than 2% of any disease incidence post-freshening and monitoring SCC before and after the dry period. If SCC increases during that time, look for ways to improve your dry-off protocols to prevent bacteria from entering the udder.
Using data to monitor lying time and rumination can also give an indication of how comfortable cows are at dry-off.
Corinne Banker, who operates Blue Hill Farm LLC in Morrisville, New York, with her husband, says data helped them make important changes to their dry-off program. “We had always known dry-off was a difficult transition, especially at our level of milk production,” said Banker. “We would try to do our best to slow down late lactation production, but there were always some cows that just wouldn’t stop. The data from our [ear] tags helped us realize just how much our cows were struggling at dry-off. After that, we were on a mission to find out how we could make the experience more comfortable for them. BOVIKALC® DRY has been a game changer for us.”
4. Cultivating a culture of continuous improvement
An innovative mindset and embracing new tools have led the way in helping producers solve the modern problems of dry-off on their operations.
“We have a relatively high herd average when it comes to milk production, and slowing cows down for dry-off has always been a challenge,” asserted Trustem. “We tried changing their diet, but we thought there might be a better option out there.”
Trustem, along with Smith and Banker, has turned to BOVICALK® DRY acidogenic boluses as part of their dry-off protocols to address these challenges and continually improve the performance of their herds.
Their approach reflects a larger shift in the industry — one that prioritizes continuous improvement and practical solutions to meet the evolving demands of today’s high-performing herds.
Start with your veterinarian to identify the changes that will make the biggest difference in your herd.
About Boehringer Ingelheim – Animal Health business
About Boehringer Ingelheim
