The Transition Period in Dairy Cows: Welfare and Metabolic Health

How the three weeks before and after calving determine dairy cow welfare for the entire lactation.

Key Facts

The transition period spans 3 weeks before to 3 weeks after calving
Metabolic diseases clustering at this time include milk fever, ketosis, LDA, and mastitis
Dry cow nutrition is the primary lever for transition cow welfare
Body condition at calving is the single most important welfare predictor

Welfare Considerations

Transition period welfare is the foundation of dairy cow wellbeing — metabolic diseases in the first weeks of lactation cascade through the entire year. Welfare-focused transition management controls dry matter intake in the dry period, provides appropriate mineral supplementation, monitors body condition at drying off and at calving, and detects metabolic disease early through systematic monitoring. Investment in transition cow welfare repays itself in welfare and production terms.

What You Can Do

Implement body condition scoring at drying off and calving as a welfare monitoring tool
Engage a vet to design a transition cow management protocol addressing the key metabolic diseases
Monitor fresh cow behaviour and appetite daily as early welfare indicators in the transition period