Continuous Lactation in Dairy Cows: Effect on Milk Production and Mammary Nutrient Supply and Extraction

Energy-corrected milk yield, milk protein, and milk fat content in prepartum milked dairy cows, which dried off spontaneously 12 to 4 d prepartum (●) or completed continuous milking throughout the prepartum period (○).

Pre- and postpartum changes in plasma concentrations of insulin, IGF-I, somatotropin (ST), and total thyroxine (T₄) in dairy cows managed with (●) or without (○) a 7-wk prepartum dry period. Data are presented as geometric means of log-transformed data with standard error of the means based on log-transformed data.