Transition Period: Why Post-Calving Problems Happen and How to Prevent Them

The three weeks before and after calving represent a critical transition period when dairy cows face multiple interconnected challenges. During this time, physical stress, weakened immunity, hormonal changes, and nutritional demands can lead to significant health complications. Understanding these challenges is key to preventing post-calving problems, ensuring optimal milk production throughout lactation, and optimized reproduction.

Understanding the transition period and why is it matters

The three weeks before and after cows calving - the transition period - is critical because it triggers significant physical and biological changes that affect cow health (Drackley, 1999) and milk production for the entire lactation cycle. By understanding these changes, we can improve our calving management strategies and prevent many common transition problems.

Key challenges your cows face during the transition period

1. Physical Stress from Calving

• Cause: Vaginal stretching, tearing, and uterine damage
• Effect: Increased susceptibility to infections such as
                   • metritis (uterine infection)
                   • mastitis (udder infection)
• Stats: Up to 25% of cows experience dystocia (difficult calving), significantly increasing their risk of post-calving complications (Sheldon et al., 2006; LeBlanc, 2008), and contamination from the environment.

2. Suppressed Immune System

• Cause: Occurring in all mammals, the immune system is naturally suppressed in the weeks leading up to calving. This biological adaptation is designed to prevent the maternal immune system from attacking and rejecting the developing calf, as the calf is genetically distinct.
• Effect: Reduced infection-fighting capability over the transition period, leading to:
                  • Slower healing response
                  • More susceptibility to infections, such as mastitis, metritis, and retained placenta
  
• Stats: Approximately 40% of cows experience retained placenta after calving, often leading to secondary infections (Kehrli et al., 1989; Mallard et al., 1998; Goff, 2006).

3. Major Hormonal Changes

• Cause:  A cow undergoes huge hormonal fluctuations over the calving process.  
                  • A sharp drop in progesterone occurs just before calving, signaling the body to prepare for labor.
                  • Significant increase in estrogen and oxytocin to facilitate labor and milk production.
• Effect: Hormonal shift disrupts normal metabolic and immune processes and exacerbates stress, further compromising the cow’s ability to fend off infections and recover from calving (Drackley, 1999; Burton et al., 2005).

4. Energy and Nutrition Challenges

• Cause:
             • Massive energy demand for milk production
             • Energy intake often can't match body requirements
  
• Effect: Enormous strain on their metabolism, which leads to:
             • Weakened immune systemRecovery becomes more challenging
             • Metabolic disorders like ketosis and fatty liver disease can develop
                   - further weakening the immune system
                   - increasing susceptibility to infections
• Stats: Studies show that around 30-50% of dairy cows develop subclinical ketosis during the transition period (Grummer, 1995; Bobe et al., 2004; Herdt, 2000).

5. Stress from Social and Environment Changes

• Cause:
            • New housing arrangements that may be unfamiliar or overcrowded
            • Separation from the herd or mixing with new cows
            • Changes in diet to meet nutritional needs, alters rumen pH leading to acidosis
            • Routine changes, such as milking schedules or handling
• Effect: Increased stress cortisol levels, which:
            • Reduce immune function, leaving cows more susceptible to infections
            • Decrease feed intake, leading to metabolic stress
• Stats: Research indicates that overcrowding and frequent pen moves can increase stress, leading to reduced feed intake and lower milk production by as much as 10% in early lactation (Cook and Nordlund, 2004; von Keyserlingk et al., 2008).

Common Post-Calving Health Problems to Watch For

(Goff, 2006; Sheldon et al., 2009; Green et al., 2007; Oetzel, 2007; Shaver, 1997).

Effective strategies to prevent post-calving problems

• Providing a balanced diet before and after calving: Ensure cows receive adequate energy, protein, and micronutrients to support metabolic demands.
• Reducing environmental stress: Maintain stable social groups and minimize pen moves during the transition period. Provide clean, well-bedded calving areas with adequate space (at least 100 square feet per cow) and proper ventilation to ensure comfort during calving.
• Monitoring health: Consistently do daily health check routine that includes monitoring body temperature, feed intake, and early signs of infection or metabolic disorders. Document all observations to track trends and identify potential issues early.
• Microbiome management: Consider using probiotic solutions to support the reproductive microbiome, reduce the risk of uterine infections, and support overall health during the transition period (Ametaj, 2023). These probiotics can promote beneficial microbial populations, helping to reduce incidences of fresh cow disorders after and improving recovery after calving.  Learn how the reproBIOME can be managed with FreshStart for transition and ProPreg for optimized breeding.
• Respond quickly to early warning signs: Treat conditions promptly to prevent escalation. Train staff to recognize early warning signs and establish clear guidelines for when to involve veterinary care.

Advanced Preventive Calving Management Strategies

Recent advances in microbiology have led to new understanding of how the calving process affects cow health and the reproductive microbiome. Research shows that supporting beneficial bacteria during this period may help reduce post-calving infections and complications (Ametaj, 2023).

Managing the transition period effectively is an investment in your herd's future success. By understanding the challenges cows face during this critical time, implementing preventive measures, and working closely with your veterinarian, you can minimize health complications and maximize productivity.

Remember that every dollar spent on proper transition cow care can save multiple dollars in treatment costs and lost milk production down the line. Stay vigilant, keep detailed records, and prioritize proactive intervention—your herd's health and your bottom line depend on it.

References

• Bobe, G., et al. (2004). Invited review: Fatty liver in dairy cows during the periparturient period: Pathophysiology, prevention, and treatment. Journal of Dairy Science, 87(12), 3105-3124.
• Burton, J. L., et al. (2005). Immune suppression during lactation: Nature's defense mechanism or unavoidable consequence of mammary development? Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology, 109(1-2), 81-89.
• Cook, N. B., & Nordlund, K. V. (2004). Behavioral needs of the transition cow and considerations for special needs facility design. Journal of Dairy Science, 87(4), 72-80.
• Drackley, J. K. (1999). Biology of dairy cows during the transition period: The final frontier? Journal of Dairy Science, 82(11), 2259-2273.
• Goff, J. P. (2006). Major advances in our understanding of nutritional influences on bovine health. Journal of Dairy Science, 89(4), 1292-1301.
• Green, M. J., et al. (2007). Mastitis in dairy cows: Effects of periparturient disease on the udder health and productivity. Veterinary Journal, 174(1), 129-139.
• Grummer, R. R. (1995). Impact of changes in organic nutrient metabolism on feeding the transition cow. Journal of Animal Science, 73(9), 2820-2833.
• Herdt, T. H. (2000). Ruminant adaptation to negative energy balance: Influences on the etiology of ketosis and fatty liver. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Food Animal Practice, 16(2), 215-230.
• Kehrli, M. E., et al. (1989). Periparturient changes in immunologic functions and susceptibility to mastitis in cows. Journal of Dairy Science, 72(2), 2204-2216.
• LeBlanc, S. J., et al. (2018). Uterine Health and Fertility in Dairy Cows. Animal Reproduction Science, 205, 88-96.
• Mallard, B. A., et al. (1998). Alteration in immune responsiveness during the peripartum period and its ramifications on dairy cow and calf health. Journal of Dairy Science, 81(2), 585-595.
• Oetzel, G. R. (2007). Herd-level ketosis—Diagnosis and risk factors. Proceedings of the 40th Annual Conference of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, 40, 67-91.
• Otero, C., et al. (2019). Probiotic Applications in Uterine Health Management. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 6, 54.
• Shaver, R. D. (1997). Nutritional risk factors in the etiology of left displaced abomasum in dairy cows: A review. Journal of Dairy Science, 80(10), 2449-2453.
• Sheldon, I. M., et al. (2006). The Metritis Microbiome: Modulation of Uterine Health in Dairy Cows. Theriogenology, 86(1), 58-64.
• Sheldon, I. M., et al. (2009). Mechanisms of uterine infection in the postpartum cow. Reproduction in Domestic Animals, 44(Suppl 3), 1-9.
• von Keyserlingk, M. A. G., et al. (2008). Invited review: The welfare of dairy cattle—Key concepts and the role of science. Journal of Dairy Science, 92(9), 4101-4111.