Farm Animal Welfare

Cattle Transition Cow Liver Health Welfare

Liver fat accumulation in dairy cows around calving causes disease and reduces welfare. Nutrition management prevents this cascade.

Key Facts

Fat mobilization in early lactation deposits triglycerides in the liver
Fatty liver impairs immune function and metabolic disease recovery
Severity ranges from mild (common) to severe (life-threatening)
Body condition score at calving strongly predicts fatty liver risk
Avoiding over-conditioning pre-calving is the most effective prevention

Welfare Considerations

Dairy cows with severe fatty liver experience impaired immune function, increased susceptibility to multiple diseases, and in severe cases, hepatic failure. The condition often occurs alongside other transition period diseases, compounding welfare impacts. Prevention through pre-calving body condition management and energy-balanced transition diets protects liver health and reduces cumulative disease suffering.

What You Can Do

Monitor and maintain appropriate body condition score through the dry period
Work with a nutritionist on transition diet formulation
Implement monitoring programs for early metabolic disease detection
Support farms with documented transition cow welfare management protocols