Making transition cow care a priority

SAUK CENTRE, Minn. — Vogt Dairy LLC has transitioned one of its heifer freestall barns to a dry cow barn. In doing so, they have been able to place more focus on transition cow care.

“A good transition program sets cows up for their next lactation,” Aaron Vogt said.

The University of Minnesota Extension dairy team and Vogt Dairy hosted a workshop July 21 to share the importance of managing cows during the transition stage and handling down cows.

Diet is key for the Vogts’ dry cow management.

“We place more emphasis on our transition cow ration than our milk cow ration,” Vogt said. “We really monitor our DCAD (dietary cation-anion difference) closely.”

Dry cows are fed meadow grass, silage, soybean meal and trace minerals with DCAD inhibitors. Meanwhile lactating cows are fed silage, soybean meal and haylage.

Vogt, his brother, Ethan, and their dad, Ken, own and operate Vogt Dairy, where they milk 275 cows in a double-12 parallel parlor near Sauk Centre. Vogt is the main herdsman, Ethan handles manure management and agronomy, and Ken does bookwork and drives the tractor as needed.

“We all have our roles, but we are a family farm, and so whatever needs to get done that day, that’s what we work on that day,” Vogt said.

The family has upped their dry-cow period from 50 days to 60 days so all cows get a dry period of at least 55 days. This results in more dry cows and more special needs requirements. This is not a problem, though, since the Vogts have started implementing beef-on-dairy matings, so there are fewer replacement heifers on-site. This means the heifer barn can now be used to centrally house dry cows.

“They calve in there,” Vogt said. “It is super good for the mom to have 12-15 hours with the calf. It’s good for the calf (to nurse) and even better for the mom transitioning into her new role.”

A heated hospital room was added onto the barn for problem cows and calves to be monitored and fed colostrum before they are moved to sand-bedded dome hutches.

The Vogts use dairy bulls on the top 40% of their herd; the remainder is bred with beef semen. With the combination of beef-on-dairy and an upgraded transition cow program, the Vogts have seen a production increase of 2 pounds of milk per cow per day. The Vogts also credit their transition cow protocol as part of the reason for their herd’s longevity.

Dr. Marcia Endres, a University of Minnesota Extension professor and extension dairy specialist, and Jim Salfer, an extension dairy educator, also shared during the workshop. They emphasized that the transition period in dairy cattle is a critical time for health.

“Farmers used to send the dry cows to the back forty and forget about them until they calved,” Endres said. “But now, we have seen the benefits of having dry cows properly managed.”

The 60 days before and 30 days after a cow calves are when they are most susceptible to diseases. This group is also very sensitive to heat stress, Endres said. Studies in Florida and Wisconsin showed that far-off dry cows that were kept cooler with sprinklers and fans in the barn produced 8 more pounds of milk per day in the subsequent lactation than those not supplemented with heat relief.

“They have also shown that the daughter that is inside that cow and her granddaughter will produce better if the mom is taken care of,” Endres said.

Technology can also play a role in transition cow health by providing health data long before humans see symptoms. For example, Endres said smart camera systems synced to automatic gates can identify lame cows and sort them automatically.

“These artificial intelligence systems are the future of the dairy industry,” Endres said. “However, they cannot replace us; we as humans are still the ones that understand our cows and are going to have to determine the best course of action for each individual animal.”

Vogt agreed. Their farm utilizes CowManager, but they still rely on humans to walk through the barn regularly to check for health issues.

As the Vogt family continues to refine their dry cow management, they are also looking to the future. The family is considering options to incorporate the next generation in the upcoming years.

“Some of our kids are interested in farming, so we are going to stay where we are at for now,” Vogt said. “If they want to come back after they are done with school, we will build a new barn.”