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Efficiency is a term that is tossed around a lot in industry circles. Producers want efficient machinery to maximize production, accountants and creditors want efficient operations to ensure profit, nutritionists want efficient cows to signal good health – and so on.
The idea of the gut microbiome having an impact on health is not new. Hippocrates (400 B.C.) stated that, “Death is in the bowels, poor digestion is the origin of all evil.”
Finding abnormal milk when stripping a cow is like a person experiencing a sore throat: It could mean something more serious, like an infection that requires antibiotics, or it could be something that will resolve on its own.
Over the past several decades, much has changed in the dairy industry and how we manage cattle. As herds get bigger and more complex, we tend to manage groups of cows rather than individuals.
A smooth transition is necessary for successful lactation. Managers need to evaluate all components of their transition cow program to identify successes or where improvements are needed.
A recent multi-site clinical trial by our group found that two selective dry cow therapy (SDCT) programs each used 55 percent less antibiotics at dry-off than blanket dry cow therapy (BDCT) without negatively affecting udder health in the next lactation.
Dairy cows are most susceptible to new intramammary infections (IMIs) during the dry period. IMIs acquired during the dry period can have a significant impact on milk production, milk quality, herd removal and reproductive performance post-calving.
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