In 2009, a project supported by Novalait delivered its technical and economic results on the on-farm feasibility of a short dry-off management system (35 days). The Novalait steering committee made this a transfer priority, and the short-drying protocol was rapidly made available through collaborations for dissemination, training and advisory services.
In 2011, Valacta data showed a rapid adoption of short dry-off management in Quebec, where the average dry-off time was 7 days shorter than elsewhere in Canada. Dairy producers have grasped the benefits of their investment in research. In 2011, the adoption of short dry-off resulted in additional milk production of 120 kg per cow, representing $3,000 per average 60-cow herd.
A heifer management assessment tool to save you money
Novalait supported a study on the rearing conditions of dairy heifers, the results of which were published in a scientific article that ranks among the 100 most cited publications in the Journal of Dairy Science since 2010. This project continued as part of the Pilot Farm Network Program, a Novalait partnership initiative to validate promising research results on the farm. A heifer management assessment tool, including recommendations on best practices, was developed and made available to producers, their advisors and veterinarians. The use of this tool is in line with the goal of improving the breeding of replacement heifers and, in particular, reducing the age at 1st calving, which represents a potential reduction in breeding costs of $335/heifer or $5,000 per average herd of 60 cows.
