Assessing Transition Cow Management and Performance

Introduction In order to achieve high reproductive efficiency and high milk production, herds must properly manage the entire non‐lactating period and early lactation. We refer to this time period as The Vital 90TM Days and it begins approximately 60 days before calving and continues through the first 30 days of lactation. During this time, dairy cows are exposed to a series of biological and physiological transitions that are usually accompanied by large changes in feed intake, dramatic shifts in hormonal profiles, and major fluxes in hepatic demands and function. The resulting negative energy and negative protein balance as well as immune suppression often leads to a multitude of metabolic and infectious problems.