Characterizing dry and early-lactation dairy cow management practices in Wisconsin and Minnesota

The nonlactation (“dry”) period and first few weeks after calving are a crucial time in a dairy cow's life, which can greatly impact her welfare and success within a herd. Additionally, cow-calf separation has become a controversial topic in dairy production, and a knowledge gap exists regarding the time of calf removal from the cow on US dairy farms. A description of animal management practices during the dry period and early lactation can provide key information on whether recommended practices are being implemented and what can be changed to enhance the overall welfare of transition cows. The objective of this study was to characterize farmer-reported housing, management, and disease incidence of dairy cows from 60 d before to 30 d after calving on dairy farms in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Surveys were mailed to a random sample of 1,503 dairy producers in Wisconsin (n = 948) and Minnesota (n = 555). The survey included questions regarding farm demographics, cow management from 60 d before 30 d after calving, calf separation practices, and transition cow disease incidence. The response rate was 31% (466/1,503; Minnesota: n = 145, Wisconsin: n = 321) at the end of the 10-wk data collection period. Respondents had an average of 219.5 ± 712.3 (±SD) milking cows with a range of 2 to 12,000 milking cows. Cow management varied greatly between farms during the dry period and early lactation. The most common dry cow housing used was a close-up pen (38% of farms) and freestalls for both fresh (15.9%) and lactating cows (39.3%). Cows were moved into new pens 0 to 6 times (median = 2) during the 60 d before to 30 d after calving and approximately one-quarter of farms (26%) moved cows into new pens twice. Removal of calves from the calving pen was most commonly reported to occur less than 1 h (16.7% of farms), 1.1 to 2 h (22.3%), and 2.1 to 12 h (39.5%) after birth. Calf removal from the calving pen was reported to occur sooner after birth on farms with larger herds and when cows remained in the calving pen for less time after calving. Dystocia was reported to occur at a greater incidence than other transition diseases (7.0% ± 7.4), followed by retained placenta (6.4% ± 6.5). The results of this survey provide evidence that recommended care practices, such as using a calving pen and not overstocking a fresh cow pen, are being provided to dry and early-lactation cows on many dairy farms in this region. However, animal-based measures would be required to assess whether cows are in a good welfare state. Nonetheless, these results can help identify possible barriers to success and opportunities for improvement for the management and potential performance of dairy cows.