The transition period — three weeks before and after calving — is the most welfare-critical phase in dairy cow production, with metabolic disease risk, immune suppression, and behavioral stress converging at this vulnerable time.
The transition period concentrates welfare risks: a cow that calves, begins lactation, and faces the immunological demands of parturition simultaneously is physiologically stressed even without additional disease challenges. The high prevalence of subclinical metabolic disease in transition cows means that on many farms, the majority of cows experience a period of compromised welfare around calving without visible clinical signs. Welfare-centered transition management requires proactive monitoring — ketone body testing, hypocalcemia screening, close observation for early disease signs — combined with prompt treatment when problems are identified. The systemic nature of transition disease risk means that herd-level prevention through nutrition, social management, and housing design produces better welfare outcomes than reactive individual treatment alone.