Have you ever looked down at your speedometer or checked your blind spot and been surprised at what you saw? If so, you may have uttered an expletive and taken some quick action to resolve a problem you discovered. I will admit I have hit the brakes hard because I was going faster than I thought. I have also quickly adjusted my course because I discovered something in my blind spot I did not realize was there.
End of lactation can be a little like that. Like the speedometer, the dry-off list may include cows that are milking more than expected, and it might be necessary to pump the brakes hard to dry them off successfully. Or, like the blind spot, life happens, holidays and time off intervene, and suddenly, there are more cows on the dry-off list than expected. Automated milking systems and milking system software have some options for managing cows going into the dry period. Drying off cows in an automated milking system doesn’t need to be like slamming on the brakes.
Better feed, genetics and reproductive efficiency all mean that cows are producing more at dry-off now than they ever have in the past. Anecdotally, cows are often even more persistent in automated milking systems than they were in the parlor, especially 2-year-olds. Not only does higher production at dry-off make cows uncomfortable, it is also correlated with a higher incidence of mastitis in the following lactation. Research shows that a combination of reducing milking frequency, and reducing nutrient density of the diet, is the most effective way to reduce production at dry-off. Automated milking systems have the tools to do both, and those tools should be used to improve cow comfort and health.
Robotic milking permission (or milk access) can automatically reduce milking frequency as cows approach the dry period. Milking permission is based on stage of lactation, expected yield and milking interval. Use the late-lactation milking permission to reduce milking frequency at least 10 days before dry-off. The goal is to put more pressure on the udder to reduce milk production. Both milking interval and expected yield should be set so that cows are milked less than twice a day. A cow producing 70 pounds per day will need an expected yield of more than 30 pounds for twice-daily milking. When the minimum interval is set to 12 hours, make sure cows are not overdue until 14 to 16 hours so they don’t become “red” cows at the same time they become eligible.
Feed tables can be used to reduce the amount of feed offered in the robot at dry-off. High-producing cows may still be receiving more than 8 to 12 pounds of pellets at the end of lactation. Reducing this to 2 pounds beginning one week before dry-off will help shut down milk production. Remember, it may take time for your system to complete the adjustment. If you reduce the pellet allowance by a pound per day starting seven days before dry-off, it will take six days to get from 8 pounds to 2 pounds, and the 2-pound rate will only apply for one day. Guided-flow systems with minimal feed in the milking robot will need to reduce the nutrient density in the partial mixed ration. In that case, special-needs pens might be used to prevent access to the milking herd ration.
Restricting milking permission will also limit robot feed intake. There will be fewer opportunities to eat in the robot, and the amount of feed per milking is already limited by system settings. Don’t be surprised when restricting milking permission and limiting feed access turns motivated cows into fetch cows. When you turn their world upside down, with less feed and fewer opportunities to milk, they may respond in a dramatic way, with even fewer milkings than you intended.
Make sure the gestation length in your automated milking system software matches the average gestation on your farm. If you are using other herd management software, that gestation should match, too. Gestation length determines when your late-lactation milking permission and feed tables go into effect. If your late-lactation milking permission is supposed to start 10 days before dry-off, but the gestation in your herd management software is 10 days shorter than the gestation in your robot software, the late-lactation permission will start on the day the cow should dry off.
The gestation setting in herd management software also sets the length of the dry period. If the gestation period in your herd management software is seven days longer than the actual gestation, cows will be dried off seven days late, even with perfect compliance. If you want a 50-day dry period, and you dry cows off every other week, the dry-off list will need to include cows that are 64 days from calving. Dry periods shorter than 40 days or longer than 70 days often lead to problems in the next lactation. Research consistently shows that cows with long or short dry periods produce less and breed back later in the next lactation. Cows with dry periods over 70 days tend to be overconditioned, which leads to metabolic problems at freshening. Short dry periods are unavoidable when cows abort, and long dry periods are inevitable when cows don’t breed back on time. Twins will also contribute to shorter gestation. If more than 4% of cows have dry periods less than 40 days, check the gestation setting in your software. If more than 8% of cows have dry periods of more than 70 days, review your breeding protocols to make sure cows are being serviced in a timely manner.
The car I drive today has cruise control and blind spot monitoring. Those two features mean I am far less likely to find surprises on my speedometer or in my blind spot. I still have to be aware of the speed limit and the traffic conditions. Late-lactation feed tables and milking permission are the features on your milking robot that can help you avoid surprises at dry-off. Your average length of gestation and average length of dry period are the metrics that help you use those features effectively.
