The transition period around calving - three weeks before to three weeks after birth - is the highest-risk time for dairy cow health and welfare, requiring targeted management to prevent suffering.
The transition period is when dairy cows are most vulnerable and experience the highest rates of painful, debilitating disease. The metabolic demands of supporting both late pregnancy and the onset of high milk production simultaneously overwhelm many cows' physiological capacity. Management practices that minimise social stress, provide excellent nutrition, and allow early disease detection dramatically reduce the suffering experienced during this vulnerable window. Herd health programmes that monitor transition cow welfare indicators save both animal suffering and farm costs.