Cattle Farming

Cattle Transition Cow Metabolic Disease Prevention

The transition period around calving is the highest-risk time for dairy cow health, with metabolic diseases causing significant welfare costs.

Key Facts

Hypocalcaemia (milk fever) affects up to 25% of cows in some herds
Ketosis occurs when energy demands of milk production exceed feed intake
Transition cows need carefully managed body condition at drying off
Negative energy balance in early lactation drives multiple disease risks
Transition management programmes can reduce disease incidence by 50%

Welfare Considerations

Metabolic diseases cause significant pain and distress. Hypocalcaemia causes muscle weakness and inability to rise; ketosis causes lethargy and reduced appetite. Many cases are preventable through nutrition management. Identifying and treating sub-clinical cases requires systematic monitoring rather than waiting for obvious signs.

What You Can Do

Support dairy welfare schemes with transition period health monitoring
Choose dairy products from farms with documented transition management
Advocate for metabolic disease monitoring as a welfare assurance requirement