Veterinary Physiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland; Sustainability Assessment and Agricultural Management, Agroscope, 8356 Ettenhausen, Switzerland.
Sustainability Assessment and Agricultural Management, Agroscope, 8356 Ettenhausen, Switzerland.
J Dairy Sci. 2022 Oct;105(10):8342-8353. doi: 10.3168/jds.2021-21735. Epub 2022 Aug 31.
Drying-off practices to reduce milk production before dry-off are gaining attention because high milk yields at dry-off are becoming more common and increase the risk to cow health and welfare during the dry period. Incomplete milking for the last days before dry-off is one approach for reducing milk production. We conducted an online survey to determine the currently used drying-off practices on Swiss dairy farms and to identify the adoption potential of integrating incomplete milking before dry-off. In March 2021, the online survey was sent to a representative sample of 1,974 Swiss dairy farmers. A total of 518 completed questionnaires were analyzed. The mean number of dairy cows per farm was 39 (range: 11-140 cows). Thirty-five percent of cows produced considerable quantities of milk (>15 kg/d) at dry-off, and milk yield at dry-off increased with increasing annual milk yield. Abrupt dry-off was applied on 45% of the farms. The participants reported observing behavioral changes of cows such as increased vocalizations and decreased lying time associated with dry-off. Selective dry cow therapy was applied on 74% of the farms, and 44% of the participants indicated the use of antibiotics at dry-off as being "rather often," "often," or "always." Correlation analysis revealed that with increasing annual milk yields, the frequency of observed behavioral changes and antibiotic use at dry-off increased as well. Therefore, drying-off approaches that reduce milk production while supporting cow welfare are needed. We found that farmers showed an interest in testing the presented drying-off approach of incomplete milking. In addition, the farmers indicated that they would be more willing to test incomplete milking before dry-off if it became available for automated use in milking parlors or robots. Uncertainties regarding udder health appeared to be the main barrier for the adoption potential of this approach.
在干奶前减少产奶量的干奶前措施越来越受到关注，因为干奶时的高产奶量变得越来越普遍，增加了奶牛在干奶期的健康和福利风险。在干奶前的最后几天不完全挤奶是减少产奶量的一种方法。我们进行了一项在线调查，以确定瑞士奶牛场目前使用的干奶前措施，并确定在干奶前整合不完全挤奶的采用潜力。2021 年 3 月，在线调查发送给了瑞士奶牛场的一个有代表性的样本，共收到了 1974 份有效问卷。农场的平均奶牛数量为 39 头（范围：11-140 头）。35%的奶牛在干奶时产奶量很大（>15 公斤/天），干奶时的产奶量随着年产奶量的增加而增加。45%的农场采用了突然干奶。参与者报告说，奶牛在干奶时会表现出行为变化，如增加发声和减少卧姿。74%的农场采用了选择性干奶牛治疗，44%的参与者表示在干奶时使用抗生素“相当频繁”、“经常”或“总是”。相关性分析表明，随着年产奶量的增加，观察到的行为变化和干奶时抗生素使用的频率也随之增加。因此，需要采取减少产奶量同时支持奶牛福利的干奶方法。我们发现，农民对测试所提出的不完全挤奶干奶方法表现出了兴趣。此外，如果不完全挤奶可用于在挤奶厅或机器人中自动使用，农民表示他们更愿意在干奶前进行测试。对乳房健康的不确定性似乎是采用这种方法的主要障碍。
