Effect of drying off practices on mastitis infection.

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Animal Science
• Dairy Herd Management

Background:

• Mastitis is a significant concern in dairy herds, impacting milk production and animal welfare.
• Effective dry-off strategies are essential for controlling intramammary infections (IMIs) during the dry period.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of intermittent milking versus abrupt cessation for drying off dairy cows.
• To evaluate the impact of these methods on intramammary infection rates and treatment outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 9254 quarters from 36 New York dairy farms.
• Comparison of intermittent milking and abrupt cessation (stop method) drying-off techniques.
• Inclusion of antibiotic dry cow therapy in 80% of cows, with 20% serving as controls.

Main Results:

• Intermittent milking showed a higher cure rate and fewer new infections compared to the stop method.
• Cows dried off by intermittent milking had fewer infections at calving than those dried off by the stop method.
• Lower producing cows and hindquarters exhibited higher infection rates at drying off.

Conclusions:

• Intermittent milking is a more effective dry-off strategy than abrupt cessation for reducing mastitis.
• Dry period management, including duration and milking strategy, significantly influences infection dynamics.
• Routine dry cow therapy plays a vital role in preventing new infections and eliminating existing ones.