DairyTalk 174: Before the Fresh Pen - How the Dry Period Drives Herd Health - by Helmut Demmelhuber

DairyTalk by Helmut Demmelhuber · Dec 20, 2025 · 14m

Fresh cow diseases don’t start in the fresh pen - they start weeks earlier in the dry pen. Research from Cornell and Michigan State shows that immune suppression begins up to six weeks before calving, leading to annual losses of $50,000–$70,000 on an average 400-cow dairy. High-performing farms are shifting their focus upstream, using negative DCAD diets, proper stocking density, and effective teat sealants to cut disease rates from over 35% to below 20%. This episode explains why transition success is built during the dry period - not fixed after cows get sick. With comments on a "The…