The three weeks before and after calving - the transition period - is the highest-risk phase for dairy cow welfare and production health.
The transition period represents the most welfare-vulnerable time in a dairy cow's annual cycle. As cows shift from pregnancy to lactation, the metabolic demands of milk production outstrip energy intake, creating a period of physiological stress that predisposes to multiple concurrent diseases. Cows with fatty liver experience hepatic dysfunction affecting their ability to recover from other conditions. The cluster effect - where one disease predisposes to others - means that welfare problems in the transition period are often multiple and complex. Proactive nutritional management, adequate bunk space, reduced social stress at housing, and daily health monitoring substantially reduce transition period welfare burden.