Why the dry period is important for udder health
The dry period is a crucial phase in the lactation cycle of the cow. It allows the udder to rest, regenerate udder tissue, and prepare for the next lactation. At the same time, this period plays a key role in preventing mastitis and other udder infections after calving. Research and practical experience show that many mastitis cases in early lactation originate during the dry period. This makes correct dry-off management and accurate registration essential for long-term udder health and overall cow health. With Lely Horizon, farmers are supported in registering, analysing, and improving their dry-off strategy in a structured and data-driven way.
Udder health during the dry period
Why dry-off registration matters
Drying off a cow is more than stopping milking. It is a management decision that affects:
• Udder health in the next lactation
• Somatic cell count (cell count) after calving and in the following lactation
• Mastitis risk in early lactation
• Milk quality and farm performance
Without proper registration, it becomes difficult to evaluate whether dry-off treatments are effective or to improve future decisions. Recording dry-off treatments consistently helps farmers move towards a more targeted and responsible approach.
Automatic dry-off tasks in Lely Horizon
In Lely Horizon, cows are automatically added to dry-off tasks based on standard settings or farm-specific preferences. This allows farmers to focus on cows that actually need attention. Dry-off advice in Horizon is not only based on days in lactation, but also on milk yield, milking behaviour and milking failures. This supports better timing of dry off and reduces stress on the udder during this transition.
Safe and controlled treatment registration
The preventative use of antibiotics upon dry-off is very common. To ensure food safety and milk quality, dry-off treatments can be registered directly in Lely Horizon. Based on these registrations, automatic actions are triggered on the Lely Astronaut, such as milk separation and additional rinsing after milking treated cows. This helps prevent antibiotics or residues from entering the milk tank and supports a safe, controlled workflow on the farm.
Analysing dry-off treatments over time
Lely Horizon includes a Dry-off Treatment Analysis tool that helps farmers evaluate the effectiveness of their dry-off strategy over time. This analysis shows which dry-off treatments are used per month and trends across the current and previous year. It also shows the effectiveness of different treatment types. By comparing results over time, farmers can fine-tune their approach and confirm whether their dry-off strategy is delivering the desired udder health results.
Learning from results, improving future decisions
The Dry-off Effectiveness overview provides insight into how cows perform after dry off, based on the treatments they received.
This helps identify:
- Which treatments work best on the farm
- Where adjustments may be needed
- How management decisions influence mastitis risk and somatic cell count
This data-driven feedback loop supports continuous improvement and better alignment between dry-off management and herd health goals.
Supporting udder health and farm performance
Good dry-off management can contribute to:
- Lower mastitis incidence in early lactation
- Improved somatic cell count control
- Better milk quality
- Healthier cows and more efficient farm management
By combining dry-off registration, automated milking support, and clear analysis tools, Lely Horizon can help farmers manage this critical transition with confidence.
Conclusion
The dry period is a key moment in the cow’s production cycle. Accurate dry-off registration and evaluation are essential to protect udder health and reduce mastitis risk in the next lactation. With dry-off registration and analysis tools in Lely Horizon, farmers gain clear insight into their dry-off strategy and its results. This supports better decisions, healthier udders, and a stronger start to the next lactation, benefiting both the cow and the dairy farm as a whole.
Other Farming Insights
Rumen health in dairy cows
Stable rumen health is essential for the health of dairy cows and consistent milk production. The rumen functions optimally within a narrow pH range. When rumen pH drops too far, rumen acidosis develops. This is a common but often underestimated issue within dairy herd health.
Rumen acidosis occurs when dairy cows consume large amounts of rapidly fermentable carbohydrates while there is insufficient structure in the ration. As a result, rumen pH falls below the optimal level, disrupting the microbial balance. This affects not only feed efficiency but also the overall health of the cow.
Why cows love to brush
For dairy cows, grooming is far more than a luxury, it is an essential behaviour linked to comfort, welfare and emotional balance. Many farmers are surprised to learn how strongly cows are motivated to scratch and brush themselves. In fact, controlled experiments have shown that cows will work just as hard to access a mechanical brush as they do to access fresh feed, underlining how important grooming is to them as a natural need.
Cows experience itchiness, loose hair, parasites, dust, sweat build‑up and general irritation on different parts of the body throughout the day. Their instinct is to rub against trees, posts or rough surfaces. However, in modern barns these natural scratching objects are often unavailable. This makes a mechanical cow brush a powerful enrichment tool, one that allows cows to express natural grooming behaviour that would otherwise be restricted.
