Management of Dry Cows

• From the day cow stops milk to the day it calves next can be considered as dry period after first calving. Most dry cows do not produce milk but it is pregnant.

 Why is it necessary even to pay more attention to unproductive cows and buffaloes?

• As the mammary gland functions incessantly during entire lactation and consequently there is wear and tear and in high yielder they lose body conditions as well as great quantities of nutrients especially calcium and phosphorous

Reasons for drying off of cows

Preceding dry period of period of rest influences…

• Subsequent lactation length
• Subsequent lactation length

Wider period of rest reduces economic return in exchange for feed, labor etc.

Dry period is necessary for cow to…

• recoup strain of preceding pregnancy
• recoup strain of previous parturition
• recoup strain of previous lactation
• provide enough nutritional level for reaching peak yield
• with stand stress of net pregnancy
• avoid nutritional deficiency disease like milk fever
• build reserve of nutrients for maintaining good level of milk yield in lactation
• Keep good health of cow and the unborn calf.
• Optimum dry period: 50 to 60 days
• Determining her expected date of calving keeping in view the date of service and gestation period

Gestation period of different animals