The aim of this study was to evaluate the odds of having a subclinical intramammary infection (IIM) around calving, and its association with risk factors, such as herd, breed, parity, milk yield, and changes in body condition score in Holstein and Normande cows (n = 208) in dairy grazing systems in Caldas, Colombia. Two composite milk samples were collected from each cow at drying-off (n = 165), and once a week during the first month of lactation (n = 208, 43 heifers were enrolled). One sample was used for the analysis of somatic cell count (SCC), and the other one for bacteriological culture. An IMI was declared when a mastitis-causing pathogen was isolated from milk samples had a SCC = 100,000 and = 200,000 cells/mL in primiparous and multiparous cows, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to establish the association between the odds of having an IMI around calving with other variables. On average, SCC at drying-off was higher than the average in the first month of lactation. It was found that 44,8% of cows had an IMI at drying off. Drying-off therapy cured 21, 8% of cows with IIMs. At calving, 12,1% of cows had chronic subclinical IIM, 13,3% new infections, and 5,8% of cows had clinical infections. Herd, milk yield and changes in body condition score had a significant effect on the odds of having an IMI around calving. The most frequent bacteria isolated were Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase negative staphylococci (CNS), and Streptococcus uberis. These results suggested that subclinical IMI around calving were associated to management conditions on each herd, which is an indication that subclinical mastitis is still a multivariate problem. High milk yield was also associated with a low odds of infection.