Young cows (1st lactation) get 8 weeks dry period, older cows get 7 weeks.
When dry, they get about 12 kg DM/day, 5 of them straw.
To me a cow is not "over fat" as long as she doesn't give me any problems.
We have problems with less than 5% of cows around calving.
But i do try to get cows pregnant fast, as low yield for too long equals problems.
But it does anyway, because i can't afford to have low yielders in my herd period.
I have a high debt, high input system, so i need a high output.
They do change some in weight over the lactation and skinny dry cows don't peak as high of for as long as the ones who can milk from their body. They can't eat enough with the TMR we feed them, to give 50 liter/day.
We feed about 21 kg DM/cow/day, of which about 8-9 kg is soda wheat, sugar beet pellets, osr cake and soybean meal. The rest is mostly maize silage and then a little grass.
Similar system to me
What about transition diet?