Dry & Transition Cow Diets

Do your best to limit inflammation

don.larson@feedworksusa.com — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Inflammation is not limited to obvious clinical cases; it’s a normal biological process that takes place every day in a cow. We should recognize it as part of the cow’s constant physiologic balancing act, and one that becomes especially delicate during the transition period.

Automated feeding benefits transition cows

dschreiner@lely.com — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Automated feeding systems support herd health and performance by delivering consistent, precise rations around the clock on dairies. It can also benefit more targeted feed groups like dry cows and transition heifers so that cows receive the right nutrients at the right time, supporting a stronger start to lactation.

Prepartum DCAD: How low is too low?

ken.zanzalari@pahc.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

The decision to feed an acidogenic ration to late-pregnant dairy cows is a very easy one, as there is no better strategy to initiate the mechanisms of calcium metabolism to meet the sudden high demand for this critical mineral surrounding the time of calving.

Rethinking chromium: From transition tool to full-lactation asset for dairy cows

rbrown@chemlocknutrition.com — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Chromium has become a useful addition to transition diets. Supplementing with 6 to 8 milligrams per cow daily has been shown to significantly boost dry matter intake, energy efficiency and cow resilience. New data shows that these benefits go beyond fresh cows, supporting chromium supplementation throughout the entire lactation.

Linking early-lactation systems to peak milk performance

cesar_matamoros@cargill.com — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400

How a dairy achieves their next increase in peak milk production is unique to their operation. We have many keys in our proverbial keychains that might unlock the door to greater peak milk, but it’s not always easy to know which key to use.

The benefits of urine pH testing go beyond monitoring DCAD

kristen.devine@pahc.com — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Urine pH testing is an easy way to take advantage of a proven technology to make sure the cows are consuming the diet specifically formulated to meet their requirements. In addition, urine pH testing can be used to help dial in the diet.

Negative DCAD diet still holds key to health and performance

ruby.wu@churchdwight.com — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Even though millions of cows and hundreds of research trials have demonstrated the positive benefits of feeding a negative DCAD diet, there are always those who look for new and better ways to accomplish the goal of reducing incidence of clinical and subclinical milk fever. While those interventions do exist, it is hard to beat the proven efficacy of feeding a negative DCAD diet.

The role of phytochemicals during the transition period

animalnutrition@adm.com — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

If we consider how plants can help our heifers and cows conquer that daunting transition period, there may be more than simply forages, in terms of plants, to consider. Let us dig into the world of phytochemicals.

What happens in the dry cow group impacts the whole dairy

Wed, 20 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Calving is not a disease; it is a stage that needs to be managed and how that is done will impact a cow for her entire lactation. Best practices for transitioning a cow from far-off fresh to her lactation group has a host of areas that need focused attention by the entire management team on the dairy.

Supplemental choline during transition period increases milk production

audrey@agproud.com — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 13:03:27 -0400

During the transition period, a lot goes on “under the hood” so to speak that can be a drag on a cow’s efficiency, such as inflammation and decreased feed intake.

Identifying profit leaks on a dairy

brian.lammers@adm.com — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 00:00:00 -0400

There are a few areas on a farm that don’t receive as much attention by publications, consultants and even the dairy producers themselves that can have a dramatic impact on farm profitability.

Uncovering ration opportunities on the flip side

nmichael@pdscows.com — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 00:00:00 -0400

I recently got a phone call from a nearby dairyman, “Joe,” inquiring if I would give him a second opinion on his rations.

Doing DCAD right

scott.bascom@pahc.com — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 18:32:21 -0400

Feeding a fully acidogenic diet that is “done right” supports the mineral needs of cows transitioning from dry to lactating, resulting in improved dry matter intake, higher milk production and improved reproductive performance.

Non-nutritional management of controlled energy dry cow diets: Another piece to a very complex puzzle

casey.havekes@dairyhealth.co — Wed, 20 Jul 2022 22:10:53 -0400

The weeks leading up to calving and the weeks following calving can be extremely challenging for dairy cows. One of the most obvious stressors during this time is the shift from gestation to lactation and the sudden and dramatic nutrient demand for milk production that accompanies this shift.

How to incorporate vitamin D into a prepartum diet

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 22:03:02 -0400

Vitamin D is routinely supplemented to dairy cows to support a variety of physiological functions, such as mineral homeostasis and immune activity.

What’s new with transition cow nutritional recommendations

weiss.6@osu.edu — Wed, 25 May 2022 22:15:24 -0400

The Eighth Revised Edition of the Dairy NRC (National Research Council), now called NASEM (National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine) was published in December 2021, replacing the previous version published in 2001. The new book has a chapter dedicated to transition cow nutrition.

33 cents: The elephant of feed costs

pauldyk@gpsdairy.com — Fri, 31 Dec 2021 14:00:01 -0500

A dime, a nickel, maybe even a penny. Dairy producers and nutritionists go back and forth on cutting feed costs by fractions while optimizing milk production.

A successful blueprint for transitioning dairy cows

nigel.cook@wisc.edu — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 23:25:11 -0400

Excellent feeds and feeding are paramount for a successful transition from the dry period to early lactation for our dairy cows. However, we’ve also learned that facility design and management are also critical components that should not be overlooked.

Low-calcium approach made possible with calcium binders

rma@protekta.com — Mon, 19 Jul 2021 21:34:56 -0400

Managing and achieving a successful fresh cow transition has been and continues to be a challenge on many dairy farms.

The first 72 hours foreshadow the rest of lactation

pauldyk@gpsdairy.com — Wed, 24 Feb 2021 14:00:01 -0500

In the first 72 hours, her body is transforming from maintenance to high performance. Her body is being transformed like a caterpillar into a butterfly.

Don’t yo-yo in and out of the target urine pH range; it may cause transition diet failure

glenn.holub@pahc.com — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 13:00:01 -0400

Feeding a prepartum ration with a negative dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) minimizes the risk of both clinical and subclinical hypocalcemia.

Rewrite the rules to work for you

tim.brown@dairynutritionplus.com — Fri, 16 Oct 2020 13:00:01 -0400

Rules, rules, rules. Use only low-potassium forages, don’t feed buffers, feed lots of wheat straw, chop straw to 1-inch particle size, thoroughly blend all ration ingredients into a TMR, move cows onto the pre-fresh diet 21 days before calving, check urine pH for a minimum of eight cows, at four to six hours after feeding, every week.

Essential nutrition for supporting transition cow health

rrodrigues@provimi-na.com — Fri, 21 Aug 2020 14:52:12 -0400

Transition cows get a lot of attention in the herd, as the transition period brings significant challenges.

Fine-tuning dry cow Goldilocks diets

hutjensm@illinois.edu — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 13:00:01 -0400

The Goldilocks dry cow diet was developed by the University of Illinois under the leadership of Dr. Jim Drackley and his research team.

Reduce reproductive tract inflammatory diseases with a good transition cow diet

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 13:00:01 -0400

After parturition, the uterus recovery (involution), the regeneration of the endometrium (uterus “skin”), the return of the ovarian cycle and the control of pathogenic bacteria in the uterus are required before a cow is ready for a successful conception.

Recipe for transition cow success

tim.brown@dairynutritionplus.com — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 21:33:25 -0400

When it comes to perfecting the pre-fresh diet for transition cows, it’s all about getting the recipe right. But, recipes are more than just the nutritional ingredients. A recipe includes all of the ingredients plus the steps to prepare it, evaluation of the final product and the results delivered.

Benefits of feeding fully acidified high-calcium prepartum diets

angie.rowson@vaxxinova.com — Mon, 24 Feb 2020 14:00:01 -0500

In dairy cows, the transition from gestation to lactation results in a sudden large demand for calcium due to the production and secretion of colostrum and milk.

Feeding transition cows in a robotic system

nancy.charlton@delaval.com — Fri, 07 Feb 2020 14:00:01 -0500

The role of the transition cow in robotics is no different than in any other milking system. A good transition program minimizes calving difficulties and metabolic and infectious diseases.

Feed efficiency and metabolic health: How might we improve them both in the transition dairy cow?

heather.white@wisc.edu — Fri, 07 Feb 2020 14:00:01 -0500

The transition to lactation is a metabolically challenging time in the life cycle of a dairy cow. Nutrient requirements to support milk production exceed nutrient intake, and the cow is at increased risk of metabolic and infectious disorders.

All aspects of a negative DCAD diet must be consistent

tim.brown@dairynutritionplus.com — Fri, 07 Feb 2020 14:00:01 -0500

Often, when I visit a farm to troubleshoot an incident of poor transition cow performance, I hear the comment, “Things had been going so well until now. What might have changed with my anionic supplement?”