Farm Animals

Dairy Cow Transition Period Welfare

The transition period (three weeks before to three weeks after calving) is the highest welfare-risk time for dairy cows.

Key Facts

Metabolic diseases including milk fever, ketosis, and displaced abomasum peak around calving
Negative energy balance in early lactation compromises immune function
Good transition management reduces disease incidence and cow suffering substantially
Body condition scoring throughout pregnancy guides transition nutrition

Welfare Considerations

Poorly managed transition periods lead to painful metabolic diseases that affect cow welfare for weeks. Proactive nutrition management, monitoring, and prompt treatment when disease occurs are essential for high-welfare dairy farming.

What You Can Do

Support dairy farms with robust transition cow monitoring programmes
Choose dairy products from farms with low disease incidence data
Advocate for transition period welfare as a key dairy audit measure