Monitoring udder health during the dry period

摘要

The dry period of dairy cows is a very important time in the lactation cycle. A well-managed dry-period is important to ensure that the cow is ready for the next lactation, to prevent metabolic and production diseases and to ensure maximum milk production. The dry period is also extremely important for the treatment of mastitis, curing existing and preventing new infections. Research has shown that over 60% of clinical cases of mastitis that occur in the first 100 days of lactation are due to infections that were picked up during the dry period. Also, the cure rates for subclinical infections treated during the dry period are about twice that of those treated during lactation.