Farm Cattle: Transition Disease Monitoring

Systematic monitoring of transition disease in dairy herds identifies welfare problems early and enables targeted interventions before clinical disease develops.

Key Facts

A complete transition disease monitoring programme tracks milk fever, retained placenta, metritis, ketosis, and displaced abomasum
Fresh cow monitoring should include daily rectal temperatures for 5-7 days post-calving
Subclinical ketosis testing using cow-side BHBA monitors identifies cows before clinical disease
Retained placenta prevalence above 8% indicates a systematic problem requiring investigation
Digital records linking individual cow data enable early identification of disease clusters

Welfare Considerations

Transition diseases collectively represent the greatest concentration of welfare harm in dairy production - multiple painful conditions occurring in the same critical period. Systematic monitoring identifies problems earlier, enabling treatment before full clinical disease. Population-level data reveals management factors driving disease - stocking at dry-off, vitamin and mineral nutrition, and calving management - enabling welfare improvements that prevent disease rather than just treat it.

What You Can Do

Implement a written fresh cow monitoring protocol for your herd
Test all fresh cows for subclinical ketosis in the first two weeks post-calving
Track transition disease incidence as formal welfare and management KPIs
Investigate and address management causes when disease rates exceed targets
Work with your vet to interpret transition disease data and make management improvements