Farm Animal Welfare

Cattle Welfare and Pregnancy Complications

Pregnancy complications including hypocalcaemia, ketosis, and retained placenta cause significant welfare harm in dairy cows. Prevention and prompt treatment reduce this burden.

Key Facts

Milk fever (hypocalcaemia) affects up to 7% of dairy cows around calving
Subclinical hypocalcaemia affects many more cows and impairs immune function
Ketosis causes metabolic disease with associated welfare harm in negative energy balance
Retained placenta increases risk of metritis and reproductive failure
Prevention through nutrition, transition management, and supplements is highly effective

Welfare Considerations

Peri-parturient disease causes significant welfare harm to millions of dairy cows annually. Prevention through excellent transition management and prompt treatment when disease occurs prevents unnecessary suffering.

What You Can Do

Support dairy farms with comprehensive transition disease prevention programmes
Advocate for transition cow welfare monitoring to be included in dairy certification
Learn about peri-parturient disease prevention and management
Choose dairy from farms with low peri-parturient disease records