"By splitting the cows up in this way, we can feed a flat rate in the parlour and then feed the earlier lactation cows to yield through out-of-parlour feeders," John explains. "I body condition score regularly to track individual condition so we can adjust feed accordingly. For me, as soon as a cow is PD positive, I am thinking about how we are going to manage her into the next lactation."
"Prior to this, our protocols for drying off weren't clear. We didn't have set time frames for dry periods and were feeding hay, grass and standard dry-cow rolls. We were seeing many cases of milk fever, as well as toxic mastitis, and other issues such as retained cleansings and metritis. As a result, we tended to keep a cow in with her calf for 48 hours before we milked her to reduce the risk of her going down in the yard. This was, in turn, then impacting on colostrum quality and calf health, and we realised that it was time to change our approach to tackle the root of the issues rather than just trying to manage the problems once they had occurred."
Working with Dave Hunt, John focused on improving late-lactation body condition and protocols for the dry period. "Cows are now dried off at 60 days and stay in a far-off group kept on rough grazing in the summer and silage in the winter," explains Dave. Three weeks before calving they move into the transition group and are fed a dry-cow nut (Translac Extra) together with maize and straw. This high-protein (26%) concentrate is formulated to encourage tissue repair and maximise colostrum quality. It also produces a milk DCAB effect, which helps to control the risk of milk fever and associated problems. "And it contains high levels of vitamin E, plus bio-available selenium and zinc, to enhance cow immunity and health," he adds.