Handling the drying up

A bad management of the drying up is often the source of calves’ vitality problems, of metabolism diseases or of reproduction problems. To consider serenely an optimal expression of the dairy potential, cows have to be in excellent conditions when they calve : the drying up period must be perfectly handled. During this time, the animals must not fatten to avoid any risk of acetonemia : dairy cows must then face the drying up in good health.

 If « everything is possible » from a food point of view in the early drying up time, the last three weeks are much more demanding : the rumen has to be prepared to food distributed in the beginning of the lactation, with the animals’ ingestion capacity reduced by 50% (that is to say 10 to 11 kg of dry matter a day).

Ideal calving preparation ration

-          5 to 6 kg maximum of corn silage (14 to 16 raw kg)

-          1,3 kg of nitrogenous corrector (or 2 kg of canola meal)

-          4kg minimum of fibrous hay or quality straw

-          Avoid : pasture, stack wrap bales, alfalfa

-          Dryed up cows minerals, 7%P, 7% Ca, 7% Mg type – 150gr/day

-          Magnesium chloride : 80 gr/day