Transition cow management

摘要

Catherine Carty MVB and Professor Finbar Mulligan; School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, outline the critical period before and directly after calving for the health of the dairy cow.The transition period is commonly accepted as the period from three weeks pre to three weeks post calving. However, the entire dry period is important and indeed the first 60 days after calving is also a critical window. Regardless of the system, whethera seasonal lower yielding system or a year round higher output system, the principles of transition cow management are the same. Periparturient diseases such as milk fever, ketosis, and displaced abomasums can all be associated with poor transition (seeTable 1).The immense negative consequences on the metabolism of the early lactation cow due to failure of the transition period are great. One of the major negative impacts of poor transition cow management is immunosuppression. Poor transition cow management can impact all of the pillars of a successful lactation such as reduced productivity, fertility outcomes or health of the cow.