Cabergoline (Velactis®) administration at dry-off enhances milk yield in subsequent lactation of Holstein and Girolando (Gir × Holstein) cows.

This study aimed to assess the impact of suppressing prolactin secretion at dry-off using cabergoline on subsequent lactation performance. In Experiment 1, 326 Holstein cows housed in a free-stall facility were assigned at dry-off to receive either cabergoline (5.6 mg, n = 168) or saline (n = 158). In Experiment 2, 417 Gir × Holstein (Girolando) cows in a compost barn were subjected to the same treatments. Data collected included daily milk yield (Experiment 1) or test-day milk yield (Experiment 2), somatic cell count (SCC), and incidences of retained placenta, clinical ketosis, clinical mastitis, and pregnancy by 150 days in milk (DIM). Milk production was analyzed using repeated-measures mixed models, with cow as a random effect, and binary outcomes were evaluated assuming a binomial distribution using the GLIMMIX procedure in SAS (Version 9.4). No treatment differences were observed for postpartum disease incidence or pregnancy rates by 150 DIM. However, cabergoline significantly reduced early postpartum SCC (1.57 ± 0.04 vs. 1.77 ± 0.04 log SCC; p < 0.01). Milk yield was significantly higher in cabergoline-treated cows in both experiments. In Experiment 1, cumulative milk production by 16 weeks postpartum was greater with cabergoline (4933 ± 36 kg vs. 4788 ± 38 kg; p = 0.04). In Experiment 2, cabergoline-treated cows produced more milk by 200 DIM (7395 ± 32 kg vs. 7017 ± 33 kg; p = 0.03). Treatment effects were independent of parity, dry period length, or milk yield at dry-off. In conclusion, cabergoline administration at dry-off enhanced milk production and reduced subclinical mastitis in the subsequent lactation without affecting postpartum health or fertility.