The period before calving is one of the highest-risk phases for dairy cow welfare, requiring proactive management to prevent disease and ensure positive birth outcomes.
Pre-partum dairy cow welfare is often overlooked relative to the post-calving period, yet the conditions experienced in the final weeks of pregnancy directly shape the severity of transition disease after calving. Cows moved between groups in the close-up period experience the stress of social reorganisation at a physiologically vulnerable time. Ensuring adequate bunk space, appropriate DCAD nutrition and minimal group changes in the close-up period significantly reduces transition disease burden.