Abstract
A questionnaire was sent to 67 dairy farmers in north east Wales, to establish how they manage their dry cows. Responses were received from 39 herds, and were from zero-grazed herds, spring calving grazing herds, and all year round calving herds, thus representing the spectrum of dairy systems seen in the UK. Forty six percent of farmers aimed for a dry period less than 60 days with the other 54% aiming for 60 days. Combination therapy with antibiotic dry cow tubes and teat sealant tubes was practised in 100% of the spring grazing herds and in 62% of farms overall. Intermittent milking was practised in 30% of farms, as a routine or depending on individual cow yield at the time of drying off. When considering the management of dairy cows at drying off, herd specific and cow specific protocols should be put in place with encouragement being given to the use of teat sealants.
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