Transitkuhmanagement – Grundlegendes Wissen EN

Grundlegendes Wissen

Transitkuhmanagement

The transition period

The transition period covers the 30 days before calving and the 30 days after calving.

Transition management is crucial for the calving process and the cow’s start to the next lactation.

During the transition period, the cow undergoes many changes, which is why she is more sensitive to environmental factors.

The benefits of good transition cow management include improved animal health, fewer complications during calving and, as a result, reduced labour, time and costs, as well as improved milk yield. This module explains which factors influence the transition period and how you can identify potential problems in this area.

As a care provider, you can support the cow during the transition period by paying attention to the following factors: feeding, water supply, housing hygiene and behavioural observation.

Furthermore, factors such as stall design, barn climate, group composition, feeding of older dairy cows and drying off are significant in the management of cows in transition and are important for the health and welfare of both cows and calves. Further information on these topics can be found in the relevant learning modules.

Housing hygiene

Location, climatic conditions and hygiene have a significant impact on the animals’ well-being. As a care provider, you can support the cow during the transition phase by paying attention to the following factors:

Cleaning out regularly
Cleaning and disinfecting the floor regularly
Cleaning water troughs daily
Keeping the bedding area dry
Ensuring good ventilation and preventing draughts
Separating cows/heifers for calving

Housing hygiene

A clean, generously strewn bedding area. Deep-litter pens must be cleaned of soiling daily and regularly topped up with chopped straw at short intervals. Applying disinfectant lime beneath the top layer of straw reduces the risk of infection.

A sufficient supply of dry, clean bedding enhances lying comfort and prevents injuries during calving. This reduces the risk of infection for both the cow and the newborn calf.

Spreading chopped straw on the bedding improves comfort and, as a result, the amount of time the animals spend lying down. The animals are cleaner and the risk of conditions such as udder infections is reduced.

Soiled and damp bedding reduces the cows’ well-being and increases the risk of disease in cows and newborn calves.

Bedding mats must be thoroughly cleaned on a regular basis. Dried faeces become sharp-edged and can cause skin injuries. This increases the risk of mastitis. It is advisable to use chopped straw, for example, to cover the plastic mat.

Poorly maintained deep-litter pens increase the risk of mastitis and cause damage to the skin and joints.

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Important

Take immediate action to address:

· Lameness

· Animals spreading their legs, particularly around calving time

· Poor hygiene among the animals

· Frequent occurrences of mastitis

· Reduced feed and/or water intake

· Occurrence of injuries or wounds

· Diarrhoea in calves just a few days old

· Occurrence of respiratory diseases

Here is what to do:

· In an emergency, contact the vet immediately

· If the animals need immediate assistance (to be taken out of the herd!), contact colleagues and the herd management team

· Further documentation and responsibilities will be decided by the herd management team

Feeding

The composition of the ration, the way the feed is presented and the quality of the feed have a significant impact on the course of the transition period.

The feed provided must meet the actual requirements of the group of cows in transition (in terms of both quality and quantity!)
Feed rich in fibre, such as hay or straw, must be used (hay as a single component, straw mixed into the ration)
The feed components must be free from mould and/or yeast, as well as other contaminants or foreign matter (e.g. lumps in the silage)
Visual inspection; any abnormalities must be reported to the herd manager
The feeding table must be cleaned (wiped down) every day
Do not feed leftover food from other animal groups

Feed management

Any dirt on the feeding table must be removed as quickly as possible to ensure good feed hygiene. Cows are sensitive to even the slightest changes in smell and taste.

Dairy cows must have access to good feed throughout the day and night. The feed trough should be empty for only a short period (cleaning).

Due to the cows’ feeding behaviour, some of the feed is pushed off the feeding area. To ensure the animals have constant access to the feed, it must be pushed back into place regularly.

Additional feeding troughs, such as the concentrate feeders in AMS systems or separate concentrate feeding stations, must be checked and cleaned at least once a day.

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An empty feeding trough: a feeding trough that remains empty for a prolonged period can lead to health problems in the animals and a drop in performance.

Important

Take immediate action to address:

· Increased or minimal amounts of leftover feed, or significant daily fluctuations in the amount of leftover feed

· Feed that has been sorted out (straw that is too long) or has not been mixed properly

· A clearly noticeable improvement or deterioration in body condition

· Difficulty standing around the time of calving or a few days afterwards

· Abnormal behaviour, such as drinking urine or licking walls

· Increased susceptibility to disease

· Watery faeces or diarrhoea

· Hard faeces, dark-coloured faeces

Here is what to do:

· Report to management

· Check the functionality of the drinking and feeding equipment

· Provide good-quality hay in the event of diarrhoea

Visual health check

Faeces that are too loose during the transition period, as shown in the picture, are an indication of feeding errors or a pathological change in the animal’s digestive system.

Significant weight loss during the dry period or in the days following calving may be an indication of health problems and/or social hierarchy issues. If several animals in the herd are affected, the feeding and watering arrangements, as well as the housing facilities and management practices, should be reviewed.

Cows in the dry period with good body condition. The body condition score (BCS) should be between 3.5 and 4.0 at the start of the dry period. It must not vary by more than 0.5 BCS points during the dry period and transition period.

Preparation phase with too low a BCS

An overconditioned cow. Fat deposits around the pelvis and the base of the tail can restrict the width of the birth canal, leading to dystocia. Cows with a BCS of 4 or higher are more prone to ketosis and fat mobilisation syndrome.

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Water supply

A good water supply is essential for good feed intake; the following factors are important:

A sufficient number of large drinking troughs (a total of 10 cm of water surface area per animal)
Easy for the animals to use
Easy for humans to operate
Regular cleaning of the drinking troughs to prevent biofilm formation
Good water quality (the quality of surface water, well water or cistern water must be tested at least once a year)
- Poor water quality can be recognised by the increased formation of biofilm → Drinking troughs must be cleaned much more frequently

Take immediate action to address:

· Reduced feed intake

· Low milk yield

· Drinking urine or licking puddles of slurry

· Congestion in the drinking area/at the drinking troughs

· Heavy biofilm build-up despite regular and thorough cleaning

· Red/orange discolouration of the drinking water

· Diarrhoea

· Hard faeces

Water supply

Food residues entering the drinking troughs quickly lead to contamination of the drinking water and the formation of biofilm. This has a negative impact on the palatability of the water and thus on water intake. Daily cleaning of the drinking troughs is essential.

Cows are suction drinkers and prefer to drink from the open water surface. Cross-bracing on the drinking trough or other structural barriers restrict their normal water intake.

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Observing the animals

Regular and thorough observation of the animals is essential for identifying potential problems quickly and responding to them. The animals should be observed regularly, and this should be firmly integrated into the daily or shift routine.

It is always important to interact with the animals in a calm and stress-free manner. It is important to be familiar with normal behaviour so that even slight deviations from it can be spotted.

Important

Take immediate action to address:

· Individual animals block feeding areas or watering points

· Younger animals standing apart, not daring to approach feeding and/or watering points

· Presence of wounds or injuries (particularly if cows with horns are in the group)

· Restlessness or nervous reactions to animal caregivers

· Complications during calving (e.g. delayed labour, assisted delivery, stillbirths)

· Injuries in newborn calves

· Lameness

· Spreading of the legs, particularly around the time of calving

· Laboured breathing

· Coughing

Summary

The course of the transition period has a decisive influence on calving and the subsequent lactation. Key factors include the location of the animals, the feeding regime—including water supply—and the management of the dry period.

Through regular and careful observation of the animals, problems in this area can be identified quickly and their causes addressed.

As a caregiver, you can support a cow in the transition period by

Observing the behaviour of the animals concerned at least once a day
Monitoring their feed intake
Cleaning the drinking troughs daily and checking that they are working properly
Keeping the bedding areas, and where applicable the exercise areas, clean
Ensuring that the animals are handled in a calm and stress-free manner

Quiz to check your understanding

Frage 1

What does the term "transition period" mean?

Transition period

Transport of animals between two farms

The transition between the dry period and the subsequent lactation

An employee’s trip to the farm

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Frage 1

What period is referred to as the transition period?

Transition period

30 days before to 30 days after calving

The time it takes the farm manager to put on their wellington boots

The period between two milkings

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Frage 1

How should animal observations be carried out?

Observing behaviour

Once a week, or whenever you happen to pass by the animal enclosure.

Regularly and as an integral part of the daily routine

You can do this whilst on a long phone call

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Frage 1

Which of the following situations has NO effect on a cow in the transition period?

Housing hygiene

Feeding

The feed mixer is broken, so the feed is being fed out individually and one after the other

The milker likes to wear a pink apron and green gloves

The water pipes are frozen and have partially burst in the calving shed

At Christmas time, the feed driver mixed a particularly good ration for the older milking cows

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Frage 1

Which statement is correct?

Water supply

Observing behaviour

If cows drink the urine of other cows, there is no need for action.

If udder inflammation occurs immediately after birth, everything is fine.

If newborn calves are listless and not suckling properly, urgent action should be taken

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