Systematic health monitoring during the transition period around calving prevents metabolic disease and improves individual cow welfare at a critical time.
Transition period monitoring translates the evidence on metabolic disease risk into practical farm welfare benefit. Cows identified as ketotic or hypocalcaemic before clinical signs appear can be treated proactively, preventing the progression to severe disease. The investment in systematic monitoring during this high-risk period yields significant welfare benefit per unit of effort - more reliably than reactive treatment after clinical disease is established.