The eras of transition cow management

The transition period — before and after calving — is the most critical phase in a dairy cow’s life. During this period, a cow’s nutritional requirements change rapidly, creating a metabolic challenge. A cow’s immune system is also suppressed during this time, causing an increased risk of disease. Both nutrition and management play key roles in a successful transition period.

Transition cow success has been a primary focus of research and product development for decades. Dr. Tom Overton, a professor of dairy management at Cornell University, is recognized widely for his research and extension efforts related to the transition cow. At a recent transition cow conference, Overton highlighted several strategies that have been used to monitor fresh cow performance throughout the past 35 years. These “eras of transition cow management” have provided opportunities to learn and refine our efforts to improve transition cow success.

Intensive fresh cow check era

The 1990s were marked by increased attention toward fresh cow management.  Pfizer Animal Health launched its “100-day contract,” which helped shift the industry standards from reactive treatments to proactive, daily transition monitoring. 

A standard fresh cow check protocol included daily monitoring of cows for at least 10-14 days post-calving to detect metabolic or infectious diseases early. Daily temperature checks were common throughout this period, often accompanied by colored chalk marks on the rumps of cows indicating days of progress. Appetite and attitude became key focus areas as producers observed things like rumen fill, sunken eyes and overall lethargy. Monitoring foul-smelling, loose manure and vaginal discharge became common practice and was often accompanied by routine palpations.

Overton shared that one of the downsides of intense fresh cow monitoring was that cows were often held in headlocks for extended periods of time. Today, while the core principles of fresh cow monitoring remain vital, these practices have evolved into leveraging precision technology. On larger dairies, sort gates have become much more reliable, allowing most fresh cows to return to the pens after milking and resume “normal” activity.

Fresh cow drench era

In the early 2000s, large-volume drenching was incorporated into fresh cow protocols on several farms. Cows were routinely offered free choice or pumped with 5-15 gallons of warm water for rehydration along with additives designed to promote calcium homeostasis (calcium propionate) and glucose metabolism (propylene glycol). Alfalfa meal was a common carrier in a drench. Electrolytes and buffers were often part of this mix along with probiotics, yeast, niacin and additional vitamins.

Dr. Overton’s discussion of the “drench era” took me back more than 20 years to my graduate research focused on transition cows at the University of Minnesota. As part of the research objectives, all fresh cows received a 15-gallon control or treatment drench for the first three days of lactation. While our findings showed positive impacts on blood profiles, the novelty of this practice has passed. Drenching is still used on an individual cow basis as more of a treatment regimen. Farm employee training is essential to ensure proper placement of the drenching tube.

Cow-side blood ketone era

During early lactation, cows routinely undergo periods of negative energy balance as they try to meet the increased energy demand caused by the onset of lactation. During NEB, fat is mobilized and released into the blood as non-esterified fatty acids. When the dairy cow’s liver cannot handle the large influx of NEFA that occurs because of NEB, the liver converts the NEFA into ketones.

Starting about 15 years ago, blood glucose meters were used to monitor BHBA concentrations in fresh cows.  This cow-side device allowed farms to monitor both clinical and subclinical ketosis with higher sensitivity and specificity compared to milk and urine tests that had been available for many years. The Precision Xtra or Nova Meters are still used today, but more on an individual basis than a herd basis.

Wearable era

The final era Overton referenced is our current trend for wearables in the form of collars, ear tags and leg bands. Farms are adopting these devices to monitor herd performance and health metrics, including reproductive behavior, rumination and eating time. Recent technology improvements in rumen bolus sensors provide additional monitoring options, including body temperature, water intake and pH levels. With all these devices, cows are identified on health alert lists — often 12-24 hours before obvious clinical signs may be present.

While the past several decades have ushered in many improvements in fresh cow performance, transition cow management will continue to be an area of focus in the years to come. The next fresh cow monitoring era will likely include more technology, visual sensing and artificial intelligence as well as advanced blood and milk analytics.

Barry Visser is a nutritionist for Vita Plus.