Optimizing the Transition Cow Management System on Commercial Dairy Farms

Nutrition and management of the transition cow continues to attract substantial research attention. Despite the tremendous quantity of research conducted on nutrition and physiology of transition cows, the transition period remains a problematic area on many commercial dairy farms, and metabolic disorders continue to occur at economically important rates (Burhans et al., 2003). Data recently summarized by researchers at the University of Minnesota (Godden et al., 2003) indicate that approximately 25% of cows that left dairy herds in Minnesota from 1996 through 2001 did so during the first 60 DIM, with an uncertain additional percentage leaving by the end of the lactation as an end result of difficulty during the transition period. The economic ramifications of these “broken cows” together with the comprehensive costs associated with occurrence of the various metabolic disorders in both clinical and subclinical form are large. Therefore research attention will continue to focus on understanding the biology of transition cows and implementing management schemes on dairy farms to optimize production and profitability on these farms.