Transition Cows
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A cow's transition period is where they shift from late pregnancy to lactation, spanning three weeks prior to calving to three weeks post-calving. Dairy cows face many physiological challenges during this time, making it one of the most important times to appropriately manage cow health. A successful transition will optimise performance shown through health, milk production and reproduction indicators in the season ahead.
Good management of your herd prior to calving helps maintain the health and productivity of your cows.
Checklist for managing cow health in the transition period
Ensure all cows are at target body condition score (BCS) two to three weeks before calving
- Aim for 5.5 BCS units for first- and second-calvers and 5.0 for mixed-age cows.
- It’s very difficult to change BCS in the last month before calving, as the cow partitions much of her energy and nutrient intake to her growing calf - assess BCS two months prior to calving.
- Use a certified assessor to BCS your cows.
Identify at-risk animals
- This includes all animals that are ’above’ or ’below’ BCS targets.
- The risk of metabolic disorders such as milk fever and ketosis increases in cows above BCS targets. The risk of infectious diseases such as metritis and mastitis increases in cows below their target BCS.
Allocate feed to cows according to their BCS
- Cows at or above target BCS should be fed 90 percent of their daily energy requirements for two to three weeks before calving.
- Cows that are below target BCS should be fed 100 percent of their daily energy requirements.
- See Feeding the transition cow
Supplement all cows with magnesium pre- and post-calving
- Dry cows require 0.4 percent of dry matter (DM) magnesium in the diet from at least four weeks pre-calving.
- Lactating cows require 0.3 percent of DM magnesium for approximately four months post-calving.
Providing magnesium through more than one method may be beneficial
- Read more about magnesium supplements.
Keep dietary calcium levels low pre-calving
- The risk of milk fever is reduced if dietary calcium levels can be maintained below 0.5 percent of DM before calving.
Supplement all colostrum cows with calcium
- All cows should receive at least 100 grams (g) of Lime Flour daily during the colostrum period.
- Give more (300g) to at-risk cows, e.g. older cows, Jerseys, or those above BCS 5.5 at calving.
Maintain dietary phosphorus between 0.25 and 0.45 percent of DM pre-calving
- Avoid pre-calving feeds high in phosphorus, e.g. palm kernel extract.
- Supplement with phosphorus if cows have a diet consisting of low-phosphorus feeds, e.g. fodder beet.
Avoid grazing effluent or recently fertilised paddocks
- Research shows that potassium levels in pasture ranging from 1.0 to 4.5 percent of DM do not increase the risk of milk fever.
- However, effluent or fertilised paddocks can have higher potassium levels and increase the incidence of milk fever.
Additional links and resources
Caring for Transition Cows
/animal/nutrition/caring-for-transition-cows/Feeding Transition Cows
/animal/nutrition/feeding-transition-cows/Understanding Transition Cows
/animal/nutrition/understanding-transition-cows/Peter and Diane Miedema
/research/case-studies/peter-and-diane-miedema/Down Cows
/animal/animal-health/down-cows/Body condition scoring
/animal/body-condition-scoring/Body Condition Scoring App
/resources/tools/body-condition-scoring-app/Tags related to “Transition Cows”
