Dry-Off to Calving - Manage Dairy Cow Transition Risks

By Blake Jackson

The transition period is one of the most critical and challenging times for dairy cows and heifers, traditionally defined as three weeks before to three weeks after calving.

However, recent research suggests this period should start at dry-off, as cows experience physiological changes that increase the risk of illness and reduced performance. Not all animals are equally affected, so identifying high-risk individuals without costly lab tests is essential.

Daily farm records, such as milk yield, body condition score (BCS), lactation number, and somatic cell count (SCC), offer valuable insights beyond standard benchmarking. Parity whether a cow is primiparous (first lactation) or multiparous (second or greater) is strongly linked to disease risk, production, and fertility.

Research shows primiparous cows may face higher stress and inflammation immediately after calving, while multiparous cows often show higher metabolic stress during the prepartum and dry-off periods.

To address this, the Target Cow concept was developed to identify and manage high-risk animals selectively, rather than applying blanket treatments across the herd.

At dry-off, cows that are over-conditioned (BCS ≥3.75), have low milk yield (<50 lbs./day), or high SCC (>200,000 cells/ml) are more likely to experience metabolic stress, lower milk production, and increased health events postpartum.

During the move to close-up pens (21-14 days prepartum), over-conditioned heifers remain at higher risk, warranting targeted interventions such as anti-inflammatory strategies.

Around calving, cows in their third lactation or higher, those with twin pregnancies, dystocia, or stillbirths, continue to be the primary focus, as they face elevated inflammation, metabolic stress, and risks of poor health, reduced milk yield, and delayed fertility.

By using farm-recorded data to identify Target Cows at dry-off, close-up, and calving, producers can proactively manage these animals, improving health and productivity while reducing costs associated with unnecessary herd-wide interventions. This approach emphasizes precision management to support the cows that need it most.

Photo Credit: gettyimages-vwalakte