Many people may not even realize this, but dairy cows do not milk all of the time. cows produce milk after they’ve had a baby, and they can make milk for several months after giving birth, including after the calf has been weaned off milk is eating grass, hay, or grain. So the cows are given a broken sort of like a vacation. During this break, they will produce milk and they’ll prepare to have another calf. This rest time for the cows is referred to as being dry and takes place in the last 60 days before the new calf is born.
Having calves and making milk come naturally to cows, and the milking process only takes a few minutes on a cow’s entire day. through years of experience in research, farmers have learned that providing cows that dry period before milking them again, allows them time to rest and rejuvenate this rest period also allows the cow to produce the highest quality colostrum possible for the new calf. colostrum is the first milk a cow produces after having a calf and its extra rich nutrients and also contains important antibodies to help a calf build up immunity to germs. In some herds. Dry cows are completely separated from the rest of the milking herd so that they don’t accidentally end up in the parlor. They can graze out on pasture or hang out in the free-stall barn and socialize with the other cows lie down in a stall and chew cut or even get their back scratch with a brush.
The farmers make sure these dry cows receive what they need to be at their healthiest when it’s time to have a calf and be ready to milk again. This phase may not produce direct results financially, but all farmers know that the comfort of their adult cows during the offseason is extremely important in the long term health of the herd and the dairy farms bottom line