Dairy Cow Transition Period Welfare: Key Three Weeks

The three weeks before and after calving are the highest-risk period for dairy cow health. Transition management determines welfare across the entire subsequent lactation.

Key Facts

80% of dairy cow disease occurs in the first month of lactation
Negative energy balance after calving predisposes to ketosis, fatty liver and reduced immunity
Transition cow programmes use dietary management to minimise metabolic disease risk
Body condition score at calving should be 2.75-3.25 to minimise transition disease
NEFA and BHBA testing identifies cows at elevated transition disease risk

Welfare Considerations

The transition period represents the convergence of maximum physiological demand with minimum voluntary feed intake, creating a welfare-critical window. Cows that enter transition in excessive body condition face more severe negative energy balance and metabolic disease risk. Subclinical ketosis affects 30-40% of cows in some herds with measurable welfare impacts through reduced fertility, immune suppression and increased disease susceptibility. Proactive metabolic screening in the first week post-calving identifies at-risk cows for early intervention before clinical disease develops.

What You Can Do

Achieve target calving BCS of 2.75-3.25 through body condition management in late lactation
Test all fresh cows for BHBA in the first week post-calving to identify subclinical ketosis
Implement propylene glycol drenching for cows with BHBA above 1.2 mmol/L
Design far-off and close-up dry cow diets with nutritionist input to minimise transition disease
Monitor transition cow health outcomes monthly as a key performance indicator