Maintain a clean, dry space for cows to calve. 

The transition period can be a stressful time in a dairy-cow’s life. Poor environmental conditions, an inadequate diet, pen changes and more can hinder immune function and cow performance. There are four key ways to better manage transition cows.

1. Ensure the environment is well suited for transition cows. Allow adequate space for each cow to avoid overcrowding. Each transition cow should have 30 inches of bunk space. Maintain a clean, dry space for cows to calve. Bedding should be composed of deep-bedded straw, sand or rubber mats. A calf has zero immunity when it’s born so surfaces should be kept clean.

First-calf heifers should be separated from older cows. But that’s impractical on many farms so it’s important to comingle them as far from calving as possible. That’s better than putting a first-calf heifer into a mixed-parity fresh group. When moving animals into new pens remember that it generally takes at least a week for social hierarchy to become established.

2. Encourage dry-matter intake so cows reach their peak. Diets will be based on what a particular farm has for inventory, the farmer’s goals and the nutritionist’s perspective. One can have multiple types of feed and still achieve success.

One often sees heavy straw in diets or heavy forage diets with some chopped straw in them. A cow won’t typically eat anything wider than its nose. Straw particle size should be in the one-inch range. Farmers also may need to add a lot of water to hold rations together.

3. Incorporate an immune-support post-biotic feed additive. The transition cow undergoes multiple changes within a period of just 2.5 months – diet changes, udder rejuvenation, pen changes and calf-bearing. All of the changes cause physiological changes to the udder, uterus and gastrointestinal tract. Therefore it’s important to work with a nutritionist to incorporate an immune-support post-biotic feed additive to address inflammation and immunity in general.

4. Don’t forget fresh cows during transition period. It’s just as critical to provide fresh cows good-quality feed as they move into the fresh pen. They’re transitioning to producing milk again. They’re transitioning to another social change and another schedule change. Provide the cows plenty of time to rest.

One of the biggest issues dairy farmers face when measuring the success of a transition-cow program is the time lag in variables measured such as somatic-cell count, 60-day cull rate, peak milk and reproductive success. If one identifies failures in the system using those indicators, it’s likely many cows are moving through a failing system. Measure and monitor to ensure one’s program is successful now and not after the fact.

By incorporating the four tips, dairy producers can better manage cows during transition. That will help positively influence herd health, production and longevity. Visit diamondv.com for more information.

Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Editor’s note: Earlier this year I took a pilgrimage through the lands of agriculture, from Wisconsin through Minnesota to Manitoba and Saskat…

Editor's note: This article is part of a series featuring Wisconsin farmer-members of dairy cooperatives. The following article features Duane…

Editor's note: This article is the second in a series featuring Wisconsin farmer-members of dairy cooperatives. The following article features…

Maintain a clean, dry space for cows to calve. 

Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.