The purpose of this study was the analysis of effects of dry period length on milk performance, fertility and health of Polish Holstein-Friesian cows. The analysis was carried out on data from 426 cows, managed on a free-stall farm. All animals were dried off under the protection of antibiotics that were applied into mammary gland after the last milking. Cows with the shortest dry period (≤ 42 days) produced least milk with the highest protein content and the highest somatic cell count, they also had most favourable reproduction parameters The middle-length dry period (43–70 days) was associated with the highest milk production, and the longest period (> 70 days) was associated with the lowest somatic cell count and the least favourable reproduction parameters. Results of this study show that there is no optimal universal length of dry period, and therefore in practical dairy farming it should be matched if possible to particular groups or even individual animals.
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