Farm Animals

Dairy Cow Transition Period Welfare

The transition period from three weeks before to three weeks after calving is the most welfare-critical time for dairy cows, with high risk of metabolic disease and reduced immunity.

Key Facts

Around 75% of dairy cow diseases occur in the first month after calving
Hypocalcaemia, ketosis, and displaced abomasum are common transition period conditions
Nutritional management before calving dramatically affects post-calving health
Stress from housing and social disruption worsens transition period health
Transition cow monitoring programmes significantly reduce disease incidence

Welfare Considerations

Transition period welfare requires proactive nutritional management, appropriate housing with space and feed access, and monitoring for early disease signs. The welfare and economic cases for good transition cow management are both compelling.

What You Can Do

Advocate for dairy farms to implement evidence-based transition cow programmes
Support research on transition cow welfare and metabolic health
Choose dairy products from farms with documented herd health programmes