The transition period around calving is the most welfare-critical phase in the dairy cow production cycle. Metabolic diseases and management practices during this period determine health outcomes for the entire lactation.
The transition period is the single highest-risk phase of the dairy cow production cycle from a welfare perspective. Getting transition management right requires integrating nutrition, housing, health monitoring, and pain management. Farms that invest in evidence-based transition management see fewer metabolic diseases, lower mortality, and better reproductive outcomes — alongside improved animal welfare. The alignment of good welfare practice with productivity provides a compelling case for transition cow investment.