Dry cows
Treatment
Before treating an animal with dry cow therapy, ensure that the time between drying off and expected calving is greater than the withholding period of the drug used. There may be times when you know that the animal will calve within the withholding period but you decide to treat her anyway. If you make this decision, take great care to make sure that her milk is withheld from the vat after calving until the withholding period ends. The milk should be tested by your factory field officer to ensure it is ready to be included in the vat.
Identification and isolation
After treating a cow with dry cow therapy, it is essential to mark her with long lasting identification. Many farmers use a coating of tail paint across the udder as an effective marker. The cow must be recognisable as treated in case she gets back into the herd. Treated dry cows should be kept well away from the milking herd so they are not able to re-enter the herd. A combination of isolation and clear identification is the most effective way to prevent milk from your dry cows contaminating the vat.
Keep treatment records
Detailed records of every dry cow treated with antibiotics should be kept in the dairy book or a separate animal health book. Details may include:
- cow number
- quarter(s) treated
- product used and dosage
- date treated
- withholding period
- date withholding period ends
- consecutive treatments times, reassessment of withholding period.
Check all fresh calvers
Checking the treatment details of all freshly calved cows is absolutely essential. You must be sure that the withholding period has ended before her milk enters the vat. For those cows that calve before the dry cow withholding period has ended, the withholding period must be reassessed in consultation with your veterinarian. The new date for the milk re-entry into the vat should be recorded on the white/black board and in the dairy/animal health book and all staff made aware that it has changed.
If there is any doubt that the milk is not residue-free, have a sample checked by your factory field officer.