Feeding- and management-related diseases in the transition cow

Summary

This review examines how feeding and management practices influence disease susceptibility in dairy cows during the transition period (approximately three weeks before to three weeks after calving). The transition period represents a critical window of metabolic and immunological vulnerability; the paper likely synthesises evidence on how nutritional imbalances, feed quality, and management decisions affect the occurrence of conditions such as ketosis, mastitis, metritis, and other production diseases. As a 2005 review in a peer-reviewed feed science journal, it would represent a synthesis of mechanistic and epidemiological evidence available at that time.

Regional applicability

The paper's focus on transition cow management is broadly applicable to United Kingdom dairy systems, where the transition period remains a key management challenge. However, specific recommendations may reflect earlier nutrition and management paradigms; more recent evidence on transition feeding strategies has evolved substantially since 2005.

Key measures

Disease incidence, feeding management variables, nutritional factors during transition period

Outcomes reported

The paper likely examines the relationship between feeding management practices and the incidence of metabolic and infectious diseases during the critical transition period in dairy cows. Specific disease outcomes (e.g. ketosis, mastitis, metritis) are inferred from the transition cow literature.

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