Review: Practical concepts on short

dry period management

D. E. Santschi and D. M. Lefebvre
Valacta, 555 boul. Des Anciens-Combattants, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec,
Canada H9X 3R4 (e-mail: dsantschi@valacta.com).
Received 10 December 2013, accepted 25 April 2014. Published on the web 5 May 2014.
Santschi, D. E. and Lefebvre, D. M. 2014. Review: Practical concepts on short dry period management. Can. J. Anim. Sci.
Can. J. Anim. Sci. Downloaded from www.nrcresearchpress.com by 105.104.230.235 on 05/17/20

94: 381390. Increased production of dairy cows over the past years has triggered interest in reviewing optimal duration
and management for the dry period. Results from recent studies suggest reduced early lactation negative energy balance,
reduced ketosis, improved reproduction and no negative effects on production for multiparous cows. With regard to
primiparous cows, production following lactation is reduced, but compensated for by the additional end of lactation milk.
Reduced dry period length does not impair udder health, but is associated with increased risk of antibiotic residues in early
lactation in the case of an early calving. Although the literature is scarce, calf health and immunity transfer are not affected
by a short dry period. The objectives of the present review are to summarize results from recent trials and propose avenues
for further research on short dry period management. Precise management conditions as well as specific cow characteristics
for which short dry period results are optimized still need to be defined.

Key words: Dry period, dairy cow, production, health and metabolism, reproduction

Santschi, D. E. et Lefebvre, D. M. 2014. Article de synthèse : Concepts pratiques sur la gestion du tarissement court. Can. J.
Anim. Sci. 94: 381390. L’augmentation de la production des vaches laitières au cours des dernières années a créé un intérêt
pour réévaluer la durée optimale et la gestion de la période de tarissement. Les études récentes suggèrent qu’une période de
tarissement plus courte améliore la balance énergétique en début de lactation, réduit l’incidence d’acétonémie et améliore la
For personal use only.

reproduction sans effet négatif sur la production des vaches multipares. En ce qui concerne les vaches primipares, la
production dans la lactation suivante est diminuée, mais compensée par le lait supplémentaire obtenu en fin de lactation.
Une réduction de la durée de tarissement n’a pas d’effet négatif sur la santé de la glande mammaire, mais est associée à une
augmentation des risques de résidus d’antibiotiques en début de lactation dans le cas de vêlages précoces. Bien que les
études sur le sujet soient rares, la santé des veaux ainsi que le transfert d’immunité ne sont pas affectés par un tarissement
court. Les objectifs de cet article sont de résumer les résultats d’études récentes et de suggérer des avenues de recherche
future concernant la gestion de tarissement court. Les conditions optimales de gestion ainsi que les caractéristiques
individuelles des vaches permettant d’optimiser les résultats d’un tarissement court sont encore à déterminer.

Mots clés: Période de tarissement, vache laitière, production, santé et métabolisme, reproduction

It is general practice in the dairy industry to allow cows
a rest period between lactations. Traditionally, 60 d was
defined as the optimal duration of the dry period. This
recommendation was established several years ago,
mainly based on retrospective studies, which suggested
that maximum milk yield was obtained following a dry
period of 60 d. Today, several cows still produce a
considerable amount of milk 60 d prior to calving and
represent a challenge for the producer trying to dry them
off. This has triggered interest in reconsidering recom-
mendations for dry period management. Shortening the
dry period has been proposed as a potential strategy to
facilitate transition, mainly because it would allow
decreasing milk production prior to dry-off. In fact,
recent studies suggest managing for a dry period of 30
to 35 d would be more appropriate for today’s cows
(Rastani et al. 2005; Watters et al. 2008, 2009; Santschi
et al. 2011a, b, c).
Several reviews have been published in the past decade
looking at various effects of short dry period manage-
ment (Bachman and Schairer 2003; Fernandez et al.
2003; Grummer and Rastani 2004; McGuire et al. 2004;
Overton 2005; Grummer 2007; Grummer et al. 2010;
Pezeshki et al. 2010; Gümen et al. 2011). The focus of
these reviews was on the effects on milk yield and
composition (Bachman and Schairer 2003; Fernandez
et al. 2003; Grummer and Rastani 2004; McGuire et al.
2004; Overton 2005), reproduction (Grummer 2007;
Grummer et al. 2010; Gümen et al. 2011) and mammary
gland renewal and health (Pezeshki et al. 2010). As sug-
gested by the publication years, early focus was on effects
on milk and composition, most of early trials on dry
period management reporting only effects on produc-
tion. More recently, studies have looked at effects of
modified dry period lengths on other economically im-
portant aspects, such as incidence of metabolic disorders,

Can. J. Anim. Sci. (2014) 94: 381390 doi:10.4141/CJAS2013-194 381

 382 CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
reproduction, udder health, culling rate and others.
These aspects are of great importance in a producer’s
decision-making process, but have not all been grouped
and compared previously. The recent literature has been
partially summarized before (Lefebvre and Santschi
2012) but specific aspects requiring further research
have not been reviewed and discussed. The objectives
of the present paper are (1) to summarize the results from
recent literature (2005 and after) on the effects of
modified dry period lengths on economically important
parameters such as milk and component yields, health
and reproduction and (2) to propose avenues for further
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research on aspects that are not discussed in the scientific
literature, but are required by producers to make proper
decisions.
THE SHORT DRY PERIOD CONCEPT
Traditionally, with conventional dry period manage-
ment, cows are fed the end of lactation diet until
approximately 60 d prior to calving, at which time
they are dried-off. They are then switched to a low-
energy high forage diet (far-off diet) until 3 wk prior to
calving, when they are transferred to a moderate-energy
pre-calving diet, which they are fed until calving. With a
short dry period management strategy, cows are milked
for an additional 3 wk, and are dried-off approximately
For personal use only.
35 d prior to calving. Then, instead of being fed the
traditional dry cow diet, they switch directly to the pre-
calving diet during the whole duration of their dry
period, until calving.
Drackley (2011) has recently proposed and reviewed
the single dry period diet concept. Although not speci-
fically designed for cows managed for a short dry period,
recommendations emerging from this concept suggest
that it is suitable for today’s high-producing cows,
and could be adapted to the short dry period approach.
Composition of this ration should meet but not exceed
energy requirements while providing adequate amounts
of metabolizable protein as well as all required minerals
and vitamins to meet late gestation cows needs [National
Research Council (NRC) 2001]. High fibrelow energy
density diets (1.301.38 MCal NEL kg1) should be
preferred, which will allow high DM intake without
exceeding daily energy requirements. Crude protein
content should be 1215%, towards the high end if
heifers are included in this group. Mineral and vitamin
pre-calving recommendations from the NRC (2001)
should be followed. Drackley (2011) suggested this
approach was suitable for short dry period management,
but there has been little research evaluating the most
appropriate energy level in a short dry period strategy.
RECENT LITERATURE RESULTS
Several aspects must be considered before reviewing the
literature on dry period management. First, the type of
study (retrospective or planned). In the past, retrospective
studies have been criticized. It was mentioned that
although these studies include large numbers of cows,
results might be biased because reasons and management
practices associated with different dry period lengths
are unknown (Bachman and Schairer 2003). The use of
large datasets did not allow considering the reasons for
different dry period lengths (e.g., early calving, twins,
imprecise management, and abortions). Recent retro-
spective studies have tried to overcome this bias by
removing from the dataset cows with lactations lasting
longer than 2 yr (Kuhn et al. 2005), cows with a recorded
abortion (Kuhn et al. 2007) and cows which did not calve
within 10 d of the expected calving date (Kuhn et al.
2007), as well as by the use of actual production yields
rather than 305-d or 305-d mature equivalent yields
(Kuhn and Hutchison 2005). Gallo et al. (2008) corrected
the database they used based on number of test days
available and frequency of tests on a cow and herd basis,
but no adjustment was made regarding early calvings or
cows carrying twins. Adjustments to the dataset are likely
to correct most of the bias related to the cow effect, but
management associated with different dry period lengths
is rarely reported in retrospective studies. More recently,
Pinedo et al. (2011) published a retrospective analysis
on the impacts of different dry period lengths on udder
health, production, reproduction and culling rate. The
authors did not mention correcting their database to try
to overcome the bias associated with this type of study.
However, the paper contains information regarding
average feeding and reproduction management. The
retrospective study by Atashi et al. (2013) provided
information on feeding of the cows in the 64 herds
involved in the analysis. The authors added previous
305-d production as covariate and excluded records from
tests before 6 d or after 320 d in milk as well as atypical
lactation curves but no correction was made to the data to
account for early calvings or for management. Moreover,
dry period categories used by Atashi et al. (2013) did not
clearly dissociate between short and no dry period.
Categories compared by these authors were 0 to 35 d,
36 to 50 d, 51 to 60 d, 61 to 70 d, 71 to 85 d, 86 to 110 d, and
111 to 160 d. Because recent studies suggest short dry
periods should be somewhere between 35 and 40 d dry, it
would have been preferable to have a specific category for
this dry period length. Overall, conclusions from retro-
spective studies do not support the suggestions that
reduced dry period lengths could be beneficial for dairy
cows.
Planned studies imply cows being assigned to a
specific dry period management strategy. Prior to 2005,
authors from planned trials have reported that some
cows could not respect the assigned dry period length
and dried-off spontaneously. The close similarity be-
tween planned and actual dry period lengths in more
recent studies suggests that this issue is less of a problem
for today’s cows (Pezeshki et al. 2007; Watters et al.
2008; Klusmeyer et al. 2009; Bernier-Dodier et al. 2011;
Santschi et al. 2011a). Table 1 summarizes results from
planned studies published since 2005. In contrast to
retrospective studies, planned experiments often contain
 Table 1. Planned studies published in 2005 and later and reported effects of reduced dry period lengths on production, health and reproduction

Studied dry period Effects on milk and Effects on

Authors Number of cowsz lengths (d) components Effects on health reproduction

Andersen et al. 28 0 and 49 22% reduction in milk yield DMI, BCS and BWt: No effect
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(2005) (11 P and 17 M) Higher protein % Plasma: Higher glucose and insulin, lower
No effect on fat, lactose and SCC NEFA and BHB
Liver: Lower TG and higher glycogen
Gümen et al. 58 0, 28, 56 Earlier postpartum ovulation
(2005) Improved first service conception rate
Reduced days open
Rastani et al. 65 0, 28, 56 No effect on solid corrected milk with Increased prepartum DMI
(2005) 28 or 56 d; 16% reduction with 0 d Higher NEFA with 28 vs. 0 d
11% reduction in milk yield with Higher glucose
28 d; 20% reduction with 0 d Better postpartum energy
Increased protein % with 0 and 28 d balance
Grusenmeyer et al. 334 40 and 60 Reduced colostrum quantity but not
(2006) quality with 40 d
Pezeshki et al. 122 35, 42, 56 Primiparous: 9% reduction in milk Less precalving BCS gain with 35d;

SANTSCHI AND LEFEBVRE * SHORT DRY PERIOD MANAGEMENT

(2007) yield for 35 d and 5% reduction for no effect postcalving
42 d Lower NEFA with 35 d
Multiparous: no effect No effect on glucose and insulin
For personal use only.

No effect on metabolic disorders

Rastani et al. 48 0 and 28 14 to 20% reduction in milk yield
(2007) (30 P and 18 M) with 0 d
Increased protein % and yield
Church et al. 156 (1) 30 and 60 (1) 10% reduction in milk yield No effect on cure rate of
(2008) (2) 30 and 45 (2) no effect on milk intramammary infections or new infections
during DP and on SCC in following
lactation
Pezeshki et al. 61 M 28 and 49 8% reduction in milk yield Reduced BCS loss and faster recovery of No effect on days open, conception
(2008) No effect on components BCS with 28 d rate, pregnancy rate
No effect on health of cow and birth weight
of calf
Watters et al. 781 34 and 55 Primiparous: 7% reduction in milk No effect on colostrum IgG concentration,
(2008) (426 P and 355 M) yield, increased protein %, no effect SCC, diseases
on fat %no effect on fat corrected Lower postpartum NEFA with 34 d
milk
Multiparous: no effect on milk
de Feu et al. 40 M 0 and 56 16% reduction in milk yield Increased energy balance, BCS, insulin and 8 d earlier first
(2009) Increased protein %, no effect on fat glucose with 0 d portpartum ovulation with 0 d
Improved precalving DMI with 0 d
Jolicoeur et al. 12 35 and 65 No effect on milk and component Improved postcalving DMI and total VFA
(2009) (6 P and 6 M) yield production with 35 d
Reduced fat % with 35 d Reduced NEFA and BHB with 35 d
Klusmeyer et al. 341 M 0, 32 and 60 13% reduction in milk yield with 0 d; Lower BHB with 0 and 32 d
(2009) no effect with 32 d
Watters et al. 781 34 and 55 8 d earlier postpartum ovulation and
(2009) (426 P and 355 M) improved reproductive efficiency in
multiparous with 34 d
Bernier-Dodier 18 35 and 65 9% reduction in milk yield Lower DMI and plasma BHB
et al. (2011) (11 P and 7 M) No effect on mammary cell apoptosis,
Parities not equivalent proliferation rates and gene expression

383
in both groups
 384 CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE

Days open lowered by 19 d with 35 d.

9 d reduction in days open with 35 d

details on feeding and management of cows during the
trial. In this regard, results from Santschi et al. (2011a, b,
c) demonstrate an important between-herd variation for

but effect is not significant

effects of short dry period management on milk produc-

Effects on a yearly basis.

reproduction
Effects on

tion, days open and economic impact. These three

papers relate results from a single study involving 850
cows from 13 commercial herds. Three other papers
compared impacts of short dry period management
in multiple herds. Church et al. (2008) compared 30
and 60 d dry in two herds, and 30 and 45 d dry in
two other herds, whereas the study by Klusmeyer et al.
(2009) involved three herds. Using a different approach,
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Steeneveld et al. (2013) compared previous and cur-

With 35 d: reduced veterinary costs (1.3 $

incidence and increased retained placenta

cow 1 yr 1); reduced replacement rate

rent lactation yields in herds that recently switched to

cows with 35 d, decreased mild ketosis
Decreased culling rate in multiparous

a continuous milking for all cows (five herds) or to

No effect on bodyweight and body

(2.8%). Effects on a yearly basis.

individual cow management for different dry period

Effects on health

lengths (six herds). As illustrated in papers from Santschi

et al. (2011a, b, c) and Steeneveld et al. (2013), effects
(multiparous) with 35 d

of short dry period management are variable among

herds, suggesting that herd management practices have
an effect on the outcome of short dry period. These
condition score

results emphasize the need for further studies relating

When information was available, number of cows per parity groups was reported. P, primiparous; M, multiparous.

feeding and management practices associated with the

use of short dry period length to identify the precise
conditions under which short dry period management
is optimized.
For personal use only.

(2) Statistical reduction in milk yield

Multiparous: No effect on milk and
Primiparous: 4% reduction in milk

(1) 1225% reduction in milk yield

yield; no effect on fat and protein

Number of Cows
Although they have the benefit of providing information
Economic benefits with 35 d
Effects on milk and

yields. Increased protein %

on feeding and management of cows involved in the

components

trial, planned studies often include a limited number of

animals (from 12 to 850; Table 1). Gümen et al. (2005)
component yields

clearly stated that their study was not made with a

with 020 d dry

sufficient number of cows (18 to 20 cows per treatment

with 0 d dry

group; three groups) to prove that the observed 24-d

reduction in days open between their 56 and 28 d dry
groups was significant. Similar observations were made
by Pezeshki et al. (2007), who also reported incidences
Studied dry period

switched to 0 d dry

of metabolic disorders, but did not have enough cows to

short dry periods
(2) Herds (n6)
(1) Herds (n=5)

assess statistical differences (55 primiparous and 53

individual cow
lengths (d)

approach and

multiparous cows in three treatment groups). Important

switched to
35 and 60

35 and 60

35 and 60

numbers of cows are required to evaluate impacts on

reproduction and health of cows due to the important
variation among cows in number of days open and other
reproductive performance measures and to the low
(414 P and 436 M)

(414 P and 436 M)

(414 P and 436 M)

incidence level of most metabolic disorders, respectively.

Number of cowsz

1) 342
2) 323

Impacts on Milk and Component Yields

850

850

850

Before the 21st century, studies suggested a reduction in

milk yield up to 20% following a shorter than 60-d dry
period [reviewed by Bachman and Schairer (2003),
Grummer and Rastani (2003), Overton (2005)]. Results
Table 1 (Continued)

from recent studies suggest non-significant milk losses for

Steeneveld et al.

multiparous cows assigned to short dry periods (Pezeshki

Santschi et al.

Santschi et al.

Santschi et al.

et al. 2007, 2008; Watters et al. 2008; Jolicoeur et al. 2009;

(2011b)
(2011a)

(2011c)

(2013)

Klusmeyer et al. 2009; Santschi et al. 2011a; Table 1).

Authors

However, results are conflicting concerning the effects of

short dry period management for cows ending their first
z
 SANTSCHI AND LEFEBVRE * SHORT DRY PERIOD MANAGEMENT
lactation. Rastani et al. (2005), Pezeshki et al. (2007) and
Watters et al. (2008) reported between 7.8 and 11.4%
reduction in milk yield for primiparous cows following a
short dry period. On the other hand, results from Santschi
et al. (2011a) suggested a decrease of 4.4% in terms of
milk yield and no significant difference when energy-
corrected milk was considered. The reason for this smaller
decrease observed in our study is unknown. We hypothe-
sized that age at first calving could be different among
studies, and that heifers calving at a younger age needed a
longer dry period at the end of their first lactation.
Grouping first lactation cows from our study according
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to their age at first calving and comparing impacts of dry
period management on milk yield did not return any
significant results (unpublished data). This difference
must therefore be due to other management aspects.
Information on age at first calving was not available from
other studies (Rastani et al. 2005; Pezeshki et al. 2007;
Watters et al. 2008).
Impact on milk composition is important when
evaluating impacts of short dry periods, as several parts
of the world are basing their payment system on
components rather than milk produced. In this regard,
the ideal management strategy should be the one
maximizing milk and component yields over consecutive
lactations without negatively affecting health and re-
For personal use only.
production. Extended lactations resulting from short
dry period management yield extra end of lactation milk
which should be taken into consideration. Recent
planned studies report average daily yields during the
extra days in milk ranging between 17.6 and 22.0 kg d1
for multiparous cows, and from 22.8 to 24.1 kg d1 for
primiparous cows [calculated from Rastani et al. (2005),
Pezeshki et al. (2008), Watters et al. (2008), Klusmeyer
et al. (2009), Santschi et al. (2011a)]. Accordingly,
reducing dry period length from 60 to 35 d would
therefore represent an average extra production of
approximately 500 kg for multiparous and 600 kg for
primiparous cows. This end of lactation milk generally
has high components. Our study (Santschi et al. 2011a)
suggests respective fat and total protein concentrations
of 4.4 and 3.8%, whereas Klusmeyer et al. (2009)
reported values of 4.06% fat and 3.56% true protein.
In most cases, this additional milk should compensate
for the loss in the following lactation, especially for
primiparous cows. Because there is no significant pro-
duction loss for multiparous cows, this additional milk
represents a net extra yield for the producer. Consider-
ing that there are both primiparous and multiparous
cows in a herd, overall results from these trials suggest
that a short dry period management can be used for
today’s cows, with no negative impact on the herd’s
annual production level. This was proven in our eco-
nomic study (Santschi et al. 2011b) where estimated
herd average annual production was 9823 and 9254 kg
cow 1 for short and conventional dry period manage-
ment, respectively (P 0.02).
385
Regarding milk composition in the following lacta-
tion, the literature generally suggests no significant
effects on fat content (Pezeshki et al. 2008; Watters
et al. 2008; Klusmeyer et al. 2009; Santschi et al. 2011a).
Exceptions are Rastani et al. (2005), who observed a
small increase in fat percentage (3.86 vs. 4.08% for 56
and 28 d dry, respectively) and Jolicoeur et al. (2009),
who reported an increased fat content following 35 vs.
65 d dry. Fat yield is generally unaffected by dry period
length (Andersen et al. 2005; Rastani et al. 2007;
Pezeshki et al. 2008; Watters et al. 2008; de Feu et al.
2009; Santschi et al. 2011a). Protein concentration is
often increased in the lactation following a short dry
period (Rastani et al. 2005; Watters et al. 2008; Santschi
et al. 2011a). In the past, authors suggested that this
increase was only due to a concentration effect related to
the lower milk yield in the following lactation. However,
as demonstrated above, results from recent literature no
longer report a reduction in milk yield, but the increase
in protein content is still present, especially in early
lactation. We hypothesize that this increase is related to
better energy balance as shown by a reduced incidence
of ketosis in early lactation following a short dry period,
and that improved rumen adaptation associated with a
longer period on the same diet prior to calving and fewer
diet changes in the transition period is associated with
optimized ration utilization in early lactation and
increased microbial protein synthesis, which could in
turn favor milk protein synthesis. However, this still has
to be proved.
Impacts on Colostrum Yield and Quality
Good quality colostrum for proper immunity transfer to
the calf is defined as having an IgG concentration of at
least 50 g L1 (Godden 2008). Only a few recent studies
have measured the effect of short dry period manage-
ment on colostrum quality and quantity. Grusenmeyer
et al. (2006) suggested no negative effect on colostrum
quality as long as a minimal dry period was maintained.
Colostrum IgG concentrations in their trial averaged
77 g L1 and were not different between 40 and 60 d
dry. Similar results were obtained by Watters et al. (2008);
58 and 56 g L1 IgG for 34 and 55 d dry, respectively).
On the other hand, omission of the dry period led to
approximately a 35 to 40% reduction in colostrum IgG
concentration (Rastani et al. 2005; Klusmeyer et al.
2009). None of these trials has assessed the efficiency
of immunity transfer to the calves by measures of serum
concentrations of IgG.
Measures of first milking yields with regard to dry
period management are scarce in the literature. Accord-
ing to Grusenmeyer et al. (2006), reducing the length
of the dry period from 60 to 40 d decreased the quantity
of colostrum produced at the first milking from 8.9 to
6.8 kg. However, this level of production is still suffi-
cient to ensure proper immunity transfer to the calf
based on levels recommended by the NRC (2001).
 386 CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
Impacts on Mammary Gland Function and Health
Capuco et al. (1997) established that a dry period is
absolutely essential to renew damaged mammary epithe-
lial cells. According to these authors, this process is
completed after 25 d in the mammary gland of cows
managed for 60 d dry. Hence, renewal of the mammary
gland is not impaired as long as the cows have a
minimum dry period of 25 d. In a recent paper, Collier
et al. (2012) published a thorough review on the impacts
of reduced or omitted dry period on mammary epithelial
cell renewal and turnover, as well as mammary gland
health. It is not the purpose of this section to focus on
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the mechanism involved in mammary gland involution
and renewal with regards to dry period length because it
has already been done. Collier et al. (2012) discussed
and hypothesized that the reduced milk yield observed
with continuous milking is due to a carryover of
mammary epithelial cells from one lactation to the
next, and these cells entering a resting phase at the
beginning of the following lactation rather than during
the dry period. However, the authors acknowledge that
there is a lack of information on the effect of short dry
period on mammary gland renewal. In that regard,
Bernier-Dodier et al. (2011) demonstrated that early and
mid-lactation apoptosis and proliferation rates of mam-
mary cells as well as expression of genes involved in
For personal use only.
tissue function were not different between cows mana-
ged for 65 or 35 d dry. These results suggest that normal
mammary gland involution can take place during a 35-d
dry period. To our knowledge, this is the only study
evaluating rates of proliferation and apoptosis for cows
managed with a short dry period. However, the authors
did not measure the number of secretory cells present in
the mammary gland, but rather used the functional
capacity as an indirect measure of this variable. As
suggested by Bernier-Dodier et al. (2011) and Collier
et al. (2012), mammary cell growth might be impaired
during shorter dry periods, especially for primiparous
cows, which would provide an explanation for the
negative effect of short dry periods on milk production
for younger cows.
It is well known that the first days of the dry period
represent a critical time for mammary gland infections
(Bradley and Green 2004), especially for high-producing
cows. Rajala-Schultz et al. (2005) demonstrated that
risks of new intra-mammary infections at dry-off were
related to the level of production at cessation of milking.
According to these authors, for every 5-kg increase in
milk yield at dry-off above 12.5 kg, the odds of a cow
having an environmental intramammary infection at
calving is increased at least by 77%. Short dry periods
have the beneficial effect of lowering milk production at
dry-off because the cow is kept in lactation for an
additional 2530 d. However, lactation curves derived
from our data (Santschi et al. 2011a) suggest production
levels on dry-off day to be, respectively, 20.4 and 16.4 kg
d1 for primiparous and multiparous cows managed for
a short dry period [estimates from curves published by
Santschi et al. (2011a)]. These values represent estimates
from the lactation curves and might not reflect manage-
ment changes the producers might use to lower produc-
tion prior to dry-off, but suggest that high-producing
cows are likely to produce more than 12.5 kg d 1 on
day 35 prior to calving if no other measure is taken to
lower production. The National Mastitis Council re-
commends that production should be lowered prior to
dry-off, either by reducing concentrate feeding or by
environmental changes.
The literature suggests no impact on mastitis inci-
dence either at dry-off or during the following lactation
(Church et al. 2008; Watters et al. 2008; Santschi et al.
2011a). Regarding somatic cell count, Klusmeyer et al.
(2009) reported lower somatic cell counts in the lacta-
tion following a 32-d dry period compared with a
conventional 60-d dry period (linear score decreased
from 2.68 to 2.02 for 60 and 32 d dry, respectively) but
results from cows with no dry period were not consis-
tent. Further analysis of data collected during our study
(Santschi et al. 2011a) suggested that the proportion
of cows with a somatic cell count above 200 000 cells
mL 1 on the first test day after calving was not affected
by dry period management (17.0 and 16.5% of cows for
60-d and 35-d dry periods, respectively; unpublished
data). In addition, the proportion of cows contracting
new infections during the dry period (proportion of
cows with a SCC below 200 000 before dry-off but
above 200 000 on first test day after calving) or cows
that failed to heal an existing infection (proportion of
cows with a SCC above 200 000 before dry-off and still
above 200 000 on first test day after calving) were not
different between conventional (60 d) and short (35 d)
dry period management (P ]0.52; unpublished data).
Several other authors reported no effect of reducing or
omitting the dry period on somatic cell count in the
following lactation (Andersen et al. 2005; Rastani et al.
2005; Pezeshki et al. 2007; Church et al. 2008; Watters
et al. 2008; Steeneveld et al. 2013). Based on these
results, it is concluded that a reduction in the length of
the dry period does not impair udder health in the
following lactation.
Short dry periods can be risk factors for antibiotic
residues in early lactation milk in the case of potential
early calving. According to Rastani et al. (2005) and
Santschi et al. (2011c), shortening the dry period does not
impact gestation length, but the risk of early calving is still
present. Piechotta et al. (2012) reported that among the
43 273 calving in their retrospective analysis, 76.1%
calved within 5 d of the average 280-d gestation length,
whereas 9.8 and 14.1% of cows calving after a gestation
length of B275 or 285 d, respectively. Results were
similar considering analysis of data collected on 850 cows
during our study (Santschi et al. 2011c): average gestation
length was 279.390.5 d, 72.7% of cows calving within
5 d of their predicted calving date, whereas 15.4% of
cows had a gestation length B275 d, and 11.9% of cows
calved after 285 d of gestation (unpublished data).
 SANTSCHI AND LEFEBVRE * SHORT DRY PERIOD MANAGEMENT
These results emphasize the need for proper monitoring
and record keeping of transition cows. Deviating from the
traditional antibiotic therapy at dry-off when managing
for short dry periods could be an alternative to overcome
this possible issue.
Impacts on Dry Matter Intake and Cow Health
Short dry period management involves a single ration
throughout the dry period. Because it is well known that a
complete metabolic adaptation to a new ration takes
5 wk (Varga 2003), it is hypothesized that this manage-
ment strategy would favor rumen fermentation and
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nutrient utilization. The few studies comparing dry
matter intake of cows assigned to short or conventional
dry period management report higher intake for cows
managed for 28 to 35 d dry during the dry period (Rastani
et al. 2005) as well as in early lactation (Jolicoeur et al.
2009). Jolicoeur et al. (2009) reported 3 kg d1 increased
early lactation DMI for cows managed for 35 d dry.
Although this increase in intake is not consistent through-
out the studies, many trials observed improved energy
balance, reporting lower early lactation plasma NEFA
and BHB concentrations following a short dry period
(Pezeshki et al. 2007; Watters et al. 2008; Jolicoeur et al.
2009; Klusmeyer et al. 2009) or an omission of the dry
period (Rastani et al. 2005; Table 1). This result could be
For personal use only.
related to a better nutrient utilization by the rumen as the
cow has had fewer ration changes during the dry period.
Supporting this idea, Jolicoeur et al. (2009) reported
increased total volatile fatty acid concentrations in the
rumen of cows managed for a short dry period.
Impacts on Calf
Few studies have measured the impacts a modification
of dry period management could have on calves. Rastani
et al. (2005) and Pezeshki et al. (2008) recorded actual calf
birth weights and found no significant difference between
calves born from cows assigned to a conventional or
short dry period or no dry period. Similarly, we (Santschi
et al. 2011c) estimated calf birth weight by visual
classification of calf size as small, medium, or large by
the producer, and found no difference between cows
managed for 60- or 35-d dry periods. Although sub-
jective, this measure was chosen because it was not
possible to measure calf weight at a specific time after
birth in the 13 herds involved in our study over the 2-yr
period the project lasted.
Impacts on Reproduction
Theoretically, the improved energy status of cows as-
signed to shorter dry periods should have a positive
impact on reproductive performances (Grummer 2007).
Table 1 summarized effects on reproduction. It must be
noted that many planned studies observed a numerical
effect but did not have enough statistical power to assess
impacts on reproduction. In a study on 108 cows in three
treatment groups, Pezeshki et al. (2007) reported no
significant differences in reproductive measures between
387
cows assigned to a 35-d or a 56-d dry period. With three
weekly ultrasounds and blood samples for hormonal
assays on 58 cows, Gümen et al. (2005) reported a
decrease of 8 d to first ovulation, a 6% increased first
service conception rate and a 24-d decrease in number
of days open (all not statistically significant). In a follow-
up study with 781 cows, Watters et al. (2009) reported a
significant 8-d decrease in number of days before first
ovulation and a 50% decrease in number of anovular
cows by 70 DIM, following a reduction from 56 to 34 d
dry. Moreover, the authors reported an improved con-
ception rate for 3rd or greater lactation cows, which
resulted in a 20-d decrease in number of days open for
multiparous cows assigned to a short dry period.
Although 850 cows were involved in our study, we
observed no significant effect on reproduction para-
meters (Santschi et al. 2011c).
Impacts on Culling Rate
To our knowledge, only one study has reported impacts
of modification in dry period management on culling
rate (Santschi et al. 2011c), likely because most studies
did not evaluate complete lactation impacts. According
to our data, culling rate was not different for second-
lactation cows managed for either a short or a conven-
tional dry period (average culling rate: 25.6%). How-
ever, a significantly higher culling rate was associated
with conventional dry period in multiparous (42.6 vs.
31.6% for 60 and 35 d dry, respectively). This differ-
ence was apparent within the first 30 DIM, suggesting
easier transition for cows assigned to a short dry period
management.
Economic Impact
Sørensen et al. (1993) used a stochastic stimulation
model to estimate effects of various dry period lengths
(4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 wk) and four different management
systems (combinations of high or low concentrate
feeding and high or low culling rate). Their calculations
were based on results from a previous experiment with
366 cows measuring the effects of various preplanned
dry period lengths (4, 7 and 10 wk) on production
during the first 24 wk of the following lactation
(Sørensen and Enevoldsen 1991). Calculations included
costs related to feeding and breeding of cows and heifers
and revenues from milk and livestock sold. Results from
this simulation study suggest that maximal net benefit
would be obtained with a dry period of 7 wk under the
various combinations of feeding regime and culling
strategy studied. The partial budget by Santschi et al.
(2011b) presented results of an average 70 cow herd
switching all cows to short dry period management,
under a quota system. This analysis included revenues
related to selling of milk and animals, and costs asso-
ciated with feeding, reproduction and replacement (and
some minor other costs). Of major interest in these
results was the increase in feeding costs and in annual
milk and component yield. The increase in feeding costs
 388 CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
was mainly due to cows managed with a short dry
period being fed the end of lactation and the pre-calving
rations for a longer period of time.
Depending on farm size, producers might decide not
to switch all cows to a short dry period management,
but rather select cows which are likely to benefit from
short dry period management. A more practical method
of calculation would therefore be to estimate short time
costs and revenues on an individual cow basis rather
than on a whole herd basis. To our knowledge, such
analysis is not currently available in the literature.
Moreover, no study has compared labor costs associated
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with short or conventional dry period management.
COULD THE DRY PERIOD BE OMITTED?
Most of the studies looking at the effects of continuous
milking (no dry period) report a loss of production of
16 to 20% during the following lactation (Table 1).
Steeneveld et al. (2013) recently estimated that even when
correcting for the extra end of lactation milk, cows with
no dry period produced approximately 1000 kg less milk
than conventionally managed cows. In addition, recent
studies mention that a certain proportion of cows will
dry-off spontaneously due to insufficient production to
be kept in lactation until the next calving (Andersen et al.
For personal use only.
2005; de Feu et al. 2009; Klusmeyer et al. 2009). More-
over, omitting the dry period prevents colostrum forma-
tion and does not allow antibiotic treatment at dry-off.
On the other hand, continuously milked cows show
better early lactation energy balance and improved repro-
ductive performance compared with cows managed for
short or conventional dry period (Andersen et al. 2005;
Gümen et al. 2005; Rastani et al. 2005; Rastani et al.
2007; de Feu et al. 2009). According to Steeneveld et al.
(2013), reduced labor associated with a lower number of
sick cows, easier management due to single dry period
ration feeding, decreased antibiotic use and improved
reproductive performances are the main reasons why
producers decide to omit the dry period, despite the
reduction in milk production. However, among the five
herds reported by Steeneveld et al. (2013) that were using
continuous milking, two have stopped using this man-
Table 2. Milk yields and disease incidences according to actual dry period (DP) length within the 35-d dry period management group
DP length in a 35-d of pre-calving ration management
528 d 2935 d
Cows (n) 100 132
days dry 22.3d 32.0c
ECM (kg d 1)z 29.8d 31.8c
Ketosis (%) 7.3d 26.2c
RP (%) 31.0b 18.7c
Culling (%) 39.4d 22.8c
Mortality (%) 8.6d 2.3c
z
Average energy-corrected milk over two consecutive lactations.
ad Means within the same row and parity group and with different letters differ; P 50.05.
agement strategy due to the important reduction in
milk yield observed. Negative effects on production and
colostrum associated with an omission of the dry period
highlight the fact that cows need a dry period and that
continuous milking is not a recommended practice.
OPTIMAL DURATION OF A SHORT DRY PERIOD
Data collected on the 13 farms and 850 cows involved in
our trial (Santschi et al. 2011a) was used to determine the
optimal dry period length within a short dry period
management strategy to maximize production and facil-
itate transition (Lefebvre and Santschi 2012). Although
target length of the short dry period group was 35 d, some
variation was obtained due to several factors (early or late
calvings, early dry-off due to low production level or any
other factor). Actual dry period lengths of the 412 cows
assigned to the short dry period group were used to
categorize the cows into four groups (Table 2). Analysis
suggested that a dry period of 28 d or less negatively
affected energy-corrected milk yield in the following
lactation, and increased incidence of retained placenta.
This group of cows also had the highest culling and
mortality rates. On the other hand, cows in this group had
the lowest incidence of ketosis. Our analysis also revealed
that cows ending up having 28 d dry or less had a shorter
gestation length, suggesting that most cows in this group
calved earlier than expected. However, average daily yield
of energy-corrected milk over two consecutive lactations
(calculated as the total yield over two lactations divided
by sum of days for each lactation and for the dry period
between the two lactations) was lower for cows that had
]43 d dry than for the three other groups (29.2, 29.0, 29.5
and 27.6 kg d 1 for 528, 2934, 3542 and ]43 d dry
groups, respectively; P 0.03).
A specific concern with dry periods of 42 to 45 d is the
feeding strategy. Because the rumen needs 3 to 4 wk to
adapt to a new ration change, it is not recommended
to feed the traditional far-off and pre-calving rations to
cows managed for ‘‘intermediate’’ dry periods. Pezeshki
et al. (2007) pointed out that the frequent diet change
for the cows assigned to 42 d dry in their trial was
probably the main reason for the poor reproductive
3642 d ]43 d SE P (DP) P (parity)
106 74
38.6b 56.2a 1.2 B0.01 0.79
32.5c 31.5c 0.7 B0.01 B0.01
15.7c 26.9c 7.6 B0.01 0.02
13.4cd 8.1d 6.6 B0.01 0.05
16.4c 22.5c 9.5 0.02 0.98
0.9c 1.3c 1.5 B0.01 0.84
 SANTSCHI AND LEFEBVRE * SHORT DRY PERIOD MANAGEMENT
performance by this group of cows. These authors
further emphasized that the best recipe to improve
reproduction was a combination of reduced dry period
length and minimal ration change during the dry period,
as mentioned earlier. If a dry period of 42 to 45 d is
preferred, it is recommended that the use of a single low-
energy ration is considered.
CONCLUSION
From these results, we concluded that a minimum dry
period of 29 d is required to maximize production and
avoid adverse effects on transition. Aiming for 35 d dry
Can. J. Anim. Sci. Downloaded from www.nrcresearchpress.com by 105.104.230.235 on 05/17/20
would account for some possible early calvings, while
still providing maximum milk yield. It is reasonable to
think that this solution should be considered for cows
that still produce a considerable amount of milk 60 d
prior to calving and that are difficult to dry off,
although specific cow characteristics for optimal results
have not yet been defined. Omission of the dry period is
not recommended, due to production and colostrum
losses. Further studies should include information on
feeding and management in order to identify parameters
that could explain the between-herd variations observed.
Aspects such as antibiotic residues in early lactation, calf
health and mammary gland turnover still need to be
assessed in a short dry period management.
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