Drying off is the planned end of a lactation, roughly 60 days before the next expected calving. During this dry period the mammary tissue regenerates so the cow can produce a full lactation the next time around. Skipping it or doing it poorly is the single biggest cause of clinical mastitis at the following calving.
Quick answer Reduce feed energy and drop to once-a-day milking for 3–5 days until production slows, then milk one final time and immediately infuse all four quarters with a long-acting intramammary antibiotic plus an internal teat sealant. Move the cow to a separate dry-cow group on a lower-energy ration until 2–3 weeks before calving, when she switches to a transition ration.
Why dry-off matters A high-producing cow's udder makes more than 10,000 milk-secreting cells fire every second at peak lactation. Those cells get tired. The 50–70 day dry period lets the alveolar tissue rebuild so the next lactation starts strong. Cows dried off for less than 40 days produce 10–25% less milk in the next lactation. Cows dried off for more than 90 days are more prone to ketosis, fatty liver, and calving difficulties because they over-condition. 60 days is the sweet spot for most herds.
When to dry her off Aim for 60 days before expected calving. Estimate the calving date from the cow's confirmed pregnancy diagnosis or breeding date plus 280 days. If she's still milking more than 25 L/day at the planned dry-off date, step her down 5–7 days before — abruptly stopping a high-producer is uncomfortable and risks udder damage and leakage.
Step 1: slow her down (days -5 to -1) Switch from the lactating ration to a low-energy dry-cow ration. Cut concentrates first; forage stays normal. Drop from twice-daily milking to once daily for the last 3 days. Cows producing under 15 L/day can often skip this taper and go straight to the final milking.
Step 2: the final milking Milk her out completely. Strip each quarter dry — leftover milk is food for bacteria in the days that follow. This is also the moment to record an accurate final-lactation yield total for your records.
Step 3: intramammary treatment Immediately after the final milking — before she leaves the parlor — infuse each of the four quarters with two products in sequence:
First, a long-acting dry-cow antibiotic (cloxacillin, cephalonium, or similar — your vet's choice based on local susceptibility patterns and withdrawal periods).
Then, an internal teat sealant (typically bismuth subnitrate paste) injected to physically plug the teat canal for the entire dry period.
In regions with antibiotic stewardship rules, selective dry-cow therapy is now standard: antibiotic is only used on quarters with elevated somatic cell count (usually >200,000 cells/mL), while all four quarters get the sealant. Talk to your vet about which approach fits your herd's SCC profile and your local regulations.
Step 4: move to the dry group Separate her from the milking herd. The dry group eats a different ration — lower energy, higher fiber — to prevent over-conditioning. Clean dry bedding and a low-stress, low-density environment in the first 14 days post-dry-off is where most new infections are prevented or invited. Get the housing right or the protocol won't matter.
The transition cow (last 21 days) About 2–3 weeks before expected calving, switch the dry cow to a transition (close-up) ration. This adds energy density and often a partial DCAD (dietary cation-anion difference) profile to prime the cow for calving and reduce milk-fever risk. Target body condition score at calving: 3.0–3.5 on the 5-point scale. Cows that calve above 3.75 are at much higher risk of ketosis and fatty liver syndrome.
Mistakes that cause trouble Drying off "naturally" without antibiotic or sealant: new-infection rate in unsealed quarters during the dry period is 8–12%; with sealant it drops below 3%. The cost of sealant is trivial against the cost of one mastitis case.
Letting a high-producer milk down on her own for weeks: this stretches the udder, increases leakage, and invites environmental mastitis pathogens through an open teat canal.
Skipping body condition scoring at dry-off: you cannot fix BCS during the dry period without risking metabolic disease. The intervention window closes at dry-off.
Reusing the same dry-off paddock without cleaning between cows: the first 14 days post-dry-off are the most vulnerable. Treat hygiene like a fresh-cow protocol.
When to call the vet Heat, swelling, or asymmetric quarters in the days after dry-off — likely a new infection that needs immediate culture and treatment.
A cow that won't slow milk production after 5 days of restricted feed — may indicate a hormonal issue or a miscalculated calving date.
Multiple cows getting mastitis in the dry period or in early lactation — this is a herd-level protocol problem, not bad luck. Audit the dry-off process, the housing, and the products being used.
Visible leakage from sealed teats more than 48 hours after treatment — the sealant may have been displaced and the quarter is now an open door for pathogens.
Tracking it in Vache Open the cow's profile, go to the Breeding tab, and use the Dry off form. This sets her status to Dry, logs a health event with the dry-off date, and updates the expected calving date on her open pregnancy. The dashboard shows her as Dry until you log the calving — at which point she flips back to Active (fresh cow) automatically. The Health tab will also surface a reminder if you haven't recorded a body-condition score at dry-off, which is the metric you'll want when you later look back at why a transition cow struggled.
Frequently asked questions
Can I dry off a cow earlier than 60 days? Yes, but shorter dry periods (under 40 days) consistently reduce next-lactation yield in research. Many modern protocols target 45–50 days for high-producing cows to extend lactation revenue — talk to your vet about whether the trade-off makes sense for your herd's economics.
Do I have to use antibiotics? Increasingly, no. Selective dry-cow therapy treats only quarters with elevated SCC and seals the rest. Some regions are moving toward sealant-only protocols. New-infection rates are higher without antibiotic, so the trade-off is antibiotic stewardship versus mastitis incidence. Your vet will know the local guidance.
What if she's still milking 30+ L/day at the planned dry-off? Step down feed energy 7 days before, reduce to once-daily milking, then stop. Don't slip the dry-off date later — that compresses the regeneration window. If she's over 25 L/day on the final-milking day, she's at higher mastitis risk; double-check the sealant placement.
Should I cover the teats with anything physical after treatment? The internal teat sealant is the standard. External teat dips help during lactation but don't help during the dry period. Some farms use both the internal sealant and an external teat-end protector for the first 24 hours as belt-and-braces.
How long should the dry group be separated from the milking herd? The full dry period. Mixing dry cows with lactating cows means they get the wrong ration and the wrong social pressure (lactating cows out-compete them at the feed bunk). Even a single shared paddock during transition can cost you 1–2 L/day at the next calving.
Sources National Mastitis Council (NMC) — Dry Cow Management Guidelines. AHDB Dairy — Dry Cow Therapy: Selective vs Blanket. Penn State Extension — Transition Cow Management. The Merck Veterinary Manual — Mastitis in Cattle (chapter on dry-cow therapy).