Brian Reidy: Dry cow diets — a steady transition into the next lactation

How you feed cows during their dry period will stimulate good appetite post calving and will really pay off in the next lactation as it will minimise stress and weight-loss post calving

Many silages are again low in protein this year so extra protein may be necessary this coming spring.

In spring-calving dairy herds, most have a proportion of the herd dried off at the moment, with a view of all being dry over the coming weeks.

Some will also be milking on a proportion of the herd through the winter. There is no right or wrong when it comes to milking cows through the winter or drying them all off.