Dry Dairy Cows May Need More Rest – Vet Guide 2025 🐄🛌

Hello, I’m Dr Duncan Houston BVSc. Getting a live calf each year is vital to dairy productivity—and new research confirms rest during the dry period is more important than previously understood. In this 2025 vet guide, we’ll explore how pre-calving rest impacts fetal health, NEFA levels, and live birth outcomes, and how Ask A Vet can help optimize your transition cow protocols.

1. What Is the Dry Period? 🍼🛑

The “dry period” refers to the ~6 weeks surrounding calving: the 3 weeks before and 3 weeks after birth when a cow is not lactating. This phase allows the mammary gland to regenerate and the cow to prepare metabolically for lactation and parturition.

2. Why Rest Matters Before Calving 🧘‍♀️

In a study involving over 1,000 cows from three dairies, researchers tracked resting behavior using wearable sensors. Cows that delivered live calves rested nearly one hour longer per day in the 7 days before calving compared to cows that experienced stillbirths. 📉

• 📊 Stillbirth rate: ~5% in the study
• 🛌 Increased rest = higher live birth odds

3. NEFA & Metabolic Stress 🧪

Researchers also measured non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA)—molecules that reflect fat mobilization due to energy deficits. High NEFA levels are associated with:

• 🚨 Increased disease risk
• 📉 Higher stillbirth rates in older cows
• 📋 Poorer recovery post-calving

Interestingly, the NEFA trend was not observed in first-calf heifers, but in mature cows the correlation between low rest, high NEFA, and stillbirth was clear.

4. Monitoring Rest in Dairy Cows 📲🛏️

Using data loggers, farms can track:

• ⏱ Total hours of lying time daily
• 📉 Irregular rest patterns (measured by the coefficient of variation)
• ❤️ Correlation to NEFA levels and birthing outcomes

5. How to Encourage More Rest 😌

• 🛏 Provide ≥10–12 hours of lying time opportunity per day
• 🔄 Reduce regrouping or pen changes close to calving
• 🧼 Ensure clean, dry bedding and stall space
• 🐄 Allow ≥100 sq. ft. of space per cow in group pens
• 💧 Ensure easy access to fresh water and TMR

6. How Ask A Vet Can Help 📱🐄

• 🔎 Monitor NEFA and calcium trends with lab support
• 📋 Set up cow-side rest monitoring protocols
• 📈 Identify at-risk cows for stillbirth via data analysis
• 🛠 Advise on housing, regrouping, and transition diets
• 🗂 Document stillbirth trends to guide improvements

7. Practical Takeaways for the Transition Pen 🛠️

To improve outcomes:

• 🕒 Track rest times starting 2 weeks before expected calving
• 🧪 Monitor NEFA 1–2 weeks pre-calving and again post-calving
• 🚫 Minimize environmental changes during this window
• 🏥 Treat high-risk cows early—especially those with prior stillbirth history

8. 2025 Take-Home Messages 📌

• Rest boosts birth success—cows with more lying time had more live calves
• NEFA is a strong risk marker—watch for spikes pre-calving
• Monitor mature cows closely—older cows showed more sensitivity to rest patterns
• Ask A Vet offers real-time rest tracking strategies to support your herd

Conclusion

Rest matters—and science proves it. By giving dry cows more opportunity to lie down before calving, producers can improve both cow and calf outcomes. With help from Ask A Vet, you can track behavior, monitor NEFA and calcium, and enhance calving success in your dairy herd throughout 2025 and beyond. 🐮🛏️📈