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

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 Bullvine"-article (December 16th,
2025) by Andrew Hunt: https://www.thebullvine.com