Ask any producer who consistently feeds close-up dry cows a negative-DCAD diet if it makes a difference for transition cows, and the answer will be yes. Producers routinely report that when cows are metabolically acidified, they have strong labor and calve quickly with fewer problems.

The administration of supplemental calcium to combat subclinical hypocalcemia in transition cows is a growing practice in the dairy industry. However, most producers may not be aware of the specific details behind many of the new supplemental calcium products now available.

Calving and the subsequent transition into lactation are the greatest challenges in the productive life of a dairy cow. Cows must deal with a high demand for energy and nutrients to make colostrum and milk. But this demand cannot be met by feed intake alone – which leads to negative energy balance (NEB) and nutrient deficiencies.