Mammoth Cave Dairy Seminars Nutrition

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Want to improve my milk production by 2000 to
4000 lbs in my next lactation and make 45,000
more for a 100 cow herd?
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Dry Cow Management
Donna M. Amaral-Phillips Extension Dairy
Nutritionist University of Kentucky
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The Dry Period Start of the Next Lactation

• Goals..
• Getting Cows to Milk Well the Next Lactation
• Birth of a healthy calf

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Two groups of Dry Cows
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Far-off Dry Cow Programs

• Forage type and quality govern amount and type of
  grain needed

Goal Maintain Body Condition of Dry Cow
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Times are tough..
Dont feed the correct amount of grain to dry cows
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Priorities for Use of NutrientsExample -- Energy
75 Growth of Fetus occurs in last 2-3 months
Body Stores or Body Condition
Growth of Fetus or Calf
Maintenance of dry cow herself
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Times are tough.. Dont feed
enough grain

• cut back 4 lbs of grain .. Save 30 cents a day
  or 13.50 over 45 days of dry period
• At 11/cwt milk 123 lbs of milk
• At 14/cwt milk 100 lbs milk
• Over 300 day lactation give 0.4 lbs more per day
• Or peak 0.5 lbs higher

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Management Practices Which May Result In Lower
Energy Intakes

• Summer
• Heat Stress
• Endophyte- infected fescue (dirty fescue)
• Lowered forage intake Poor Pasture Availability
• Winter
• Mud
• Poorer Quality Forages Lower Hay Quality

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Why Mineral and Vitamin Nutrition Is Critical

• Fetus stores minerals from the dam Copper and
  selenium
• Trace minerals (Se, Cu, Zn) and vitamins (A and
  E) important in immune function
• Effectiveness of vaccines
• Decrease severity of mastitis
• Force fed through grain mix versus free-choice

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Nutrition and Management Programs Affect Health
and Survivability of Calf After Birth

• Nutrition of Dam
• Calve with adequate body stores
• Provide adequate energy, protein and trace and
  macro minerals
• Vaccines for Dam Transfer immunity to calf
  through colostrum to prevent calf scours

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Want to improve my milk production by 2000 to
4000 lbs in my next lactation?
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Two groups of Dry Cows
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Why Transitition Cows Before Calving???
Adjust Rumen Bugs to lactating cow feeds
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Close-up Dry Cow Programs

• Transition into the milking herd before she
  calves
• Readjust rumen microbes to forages and increased
  grain level seen after calving

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Rumen Bacteria Supplies Nutrients to Cow

• Bacteria produce
• VFAs - used as energy by cow
• Microbial protein
• Water Soluble Vitamins and Vitamin K
• Bacteria breakdown
• cellulose, hemicellulose, and starches

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Rumen

• Large, very muscular compartment
• Wall contains papillae- needle-like projections
  which absorb volatile fatty acids produced by
  bacteria

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Close-up Dry Cow Programs

• Transition into the milking herd before she
  calves
• Readjust rumen microbes to forages and increased
  grain level seen after calving
• Designed to minimize fresh cow problems
• Does not mean place these cows in the milking herd

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Nutrient Density of the Ration
Milking Cow Ration
Close-up Dry Cow Ration
Far-off Dry Cow
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Close-up Dry Cow Feeding /Management Program

• Plenty of bunk space and freestalls
• Minimize heat stress
• Housed and Calve in Clean Environment

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Close-up Dry Cow Feeding /Management Program

• Corn silage based
• (Low Potassium Forage)
• 8-10 lbs specially formulated grain -Holsteins
• TMR versus hay corn silage/grain
• Feed Additives
• no bicarb

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Additives for Close-up Dry Cows

• Anionic salts
• Vitamin E
• Yeast
• Niacin
• Biotin
• Chelated minerals
• ZinPro
• Selenium Yeast
• Rumensin
• NOT-Bicarb

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1 lbs increase in peak production 200-250 lbs
more milk over lactation
Milk Production
Profitability
Time Post Calving
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When are Cows most susceptible to Diseases? ie
mastitis

• 2 weeks after dry off
• 2 weeks before calving
• 2-3 weeks after calving

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Shortened Dry Periods---First- What do we know???

• Cows need a dry period
• Studies with continuously milked cows
• 20-40 decrease in milk production
• Poor quality colostrum
• Close-up Dry Cow Feeding and Management programs
  Cows milk better (2000 lbs more milk next
  lactation)

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Shortened Dry Periods30 day vs. 60 day

• Research Trials
• Early studies used DHI records (observational
  studies) showed 60 day dry period optimal
• Planned animal trials (control vs treatment)
• Range from 10 decrease to 1 increase in milk
  production (Decrease may be offset by increase
  milk production last lactation)
• One trial with first-calf heifers 30 days less
  MP
• May improve DMI after calving
• Quality of colostrum no major differences

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Who should implement shortened dry periods as a
management practice

• Depends on
• Housing
• Facilities
• MANAGEMENT ABILITY

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Implementing 30 to 40-day dry periods

• Need accurate breeding dates
• One group of dry cows
• Cows fed close-up dry cow ration throughout
  shortened dry period after dry off
• ??? Facilities
• Only second lactation and older cows not first
  calf heifers

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Photoperiod for Dry Cows

• Milk cows Long day length
• 16 hours light 8 hours dark
• Improve milk production
• Dry cows Short Day Length
• 16 hours dark 8 hours light (15-20 FC-3ft floor
  of stall)
• Increase DMI after calving
• Improve immune function in vitro
• Increase milk production after calving

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Comfortable Cows are Content Cows
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Cow Comfort

• Freestall surface and stall dimensions
• Barn ventilation
• Fans and sprinklers to control temperature
• Walking surface

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Communication Communication... Pays Dividends

• Communication between
• Nutritionist
• Farmer
• Farm Workers
• Other Consultants

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Communication ---Both sides listen to one another

• Nutritionist
• More than telling farmer what to feed
• Provide Why
• Understand farmers goals

• Farmer
• More than providing info on feeds and cows
• Ask Questions
• Communicate how ration worked
• Resolve problems early

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Accelerated Baby Calf Growth (Birth till 2 months
of age)
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Calculated gain of Baby Calves from Milk Replacers
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Effect of Environmental Temperature on Gain of
Baby Calves
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Materials Prohibited in Proposed New Feed Rule

• Brain and spinal cords from cattle 30 months and
  older
• Brains and spinal cords from cattle of any age
  not inspected and passed for human consumption
• Entire carcass of cattle not inspected and passed
  for human consumption if brain and spinal cord
  has not been removed

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Questions???