Transition Period in Dairy Cows: Monitoring, Challenges, and Future Perspectives

Abstract

The transition period represents the most critical time, with excessive metabolic stresses, endocrine changes, and impaired immune function. Monitoring dairy cows during the first 15 days in milk (DIM) is necessary for early prediction and intervention with any disease biomarkers during the subclinical stage. Several metabolic disorders have been recorded during the transition time such as, clinical hypocalcemia, subclinical hypocalcemia (SCH), clinical ketosis, subclinical ketosis (hyperketonemia), and fatty liver. The incidence of clinical metabolic disorders has been decreased with the improvement in dietary management of cations and anions during periparturient time, as well as a deeper understanding of transition period physiology. Traditionally, metabolic profile tests, Urine pH, and changes in BCS were used to monitor the transition cows. Inclusive, automated precision technology records any changes in activity and rumination time and alerts dairy staff to potential health issues in dairy herds. Additionally, metabolomics approaches aim to identify any predictive biomarkers for dairy cows suffering from metabolic disorders. Liver activity index (LAI) has been used as a predictor in dairy herds to evaluate the severity of inflammation around periparturient time.