THE LINK BETWEEN UDDER HEALTH AND DRY COW MANAGEMENT
Last month we talked about why dry cow management is critical, though often overlooked. This month I wanted to dive further into the dry period’s importance to udder health. During this time, the cow’s udder repairs itself, her immune system gets back on track, and her body builds up reserves for the next lactation. If […]
WHY DRY COW MANAGEMENT IS THE FIRST STEP TO A PRODUCTIVE SEASON
We need to stop treating the dry period as just a rest between lactations and understand that it’s a significant biological reset that impacts the health and productivity of the next lactation. While the transition period is often considered the most important time, what happens during the dry period sets the stage for success. Managing […]
WHY SUMMER MINERAL SUPPLEMENTATION SHOULD BE EVERY DAIRY FARMER’S PRIORITY
Summer challenges dairy farming in unique ways. Heat stress, paired with changes in pasture quality, can affect milk composition and overall productivity. However, an often-overlooked solution is targeted mineral supplementation, which offers a pathway to maintaining milk quality and profitability through the warmer months. Why milk quality suffers in summer As the temperature rises, cows […]
MINERAL BALANCE FOR IN CALF DAIRY COWS
The challenge is not getting them in-calf. It is keeping them in calf.
It is still a trend among some dairy farmers to concentrate on mineral supplementation only through the months of early lactation, and up to the completion of the mating period. In my view this misses the point.
Generally speaking while the energy and protein levels of the pasture may improve as the season progresses, the mineral levels in lush green spring pasture are often very low, and can reach their lowest level in the spring to early summer months. Cutting minerals at such a critical time can be likened to ‘saving cents while sacrificing dollars’. A fully formulated trace element supplement designed to be delivered throughout the season can cost anywhere from 50 cents to $1.70 per dairy cow per month depending on the types of mineral used and the levels required.
WE ASK A LOT OF OUR COWS AND IT IS AMAZING WHAT THEY WILL ENDURE AND STILL REMAIN PRODUCTIVE.
Given the usually challenging climatic conditions experienced on most New Zealand dairy farms during the spring, the average farmer certainly expects a lot from their cows. Firstly they go through the trauma of giving birth, then we extract large volumes of milk pretty much from day one, and then the cow is expected to become pregnant again. This all happens within a very tight window of time. Is it any wonder that cows struggle to recover when one stress event so closely follows the next?