Transition management (pre-calving to early lactation)

Q: What should I check in cows before calving?

Check appetite, rumen fill, dung consistency, body condition score, mobility and udder or teat development. Flag any off-feed or flat cows for closer monitoring.

Q: What should cows be eating before calving?

Cows should be eating a consistent ration with adequate fibre, such as silage or straw, and predictable energy. Avoid sudden increases in high-sugar or high-energy feeds in the final 2 to 3 weeks.

Q: How long should the dry period be?

Commonly 6 to 8 weeks, depending on herd goals and cow condition. It should be long enough for udder recovery and to avoid excessive body condition score gain. Tailor this to your herd and vet advice.

Q: How do I choose a delivery method?

Match the method to how cows are fed: free choice for grazing mobs, dusting for daily supplements, water for reliable water systems, and in-feed for tight intake control. Pick what you can manage consistently.

Q: When should I call the vet?

Call the vet for any down cow that will not stand, sudden clusters of cases such as multiple down cows or severe metabolic signs, or when you need diagnostics such as blood tests for calcium, magnesium, phosphorus or metabolic profiling.

Transition management covers the three weeks before and after calving when cows face the biggest metabolic and production challenges.

Key goals are keeping appetite steady, protecting rumen function with adequate fibre, and closing mineral gaps (especially calcium, phosphorus and magnesium). Problems usually come from sudden diet changes, inconsistent intake between cows, and poor body condition at calving, and those issues increase the risk of milk-fever, down cows, ketosis and fertility setbacks. A simple, written plan for diet, step-ups and mineral delivery cuts risk and makes issues easier to spot and fix.

This page is your quick guide to:

When transition risks tend to show up
What to do this week
What to monitor on-farm and on paper
Which mineral delivery methods suit each system

Talk to your Agvance Consultant today.

Timing and risk windows

Close-up (3 weeks before calving)

Main risk: Blood calcium and mineral gaps as cows switch to the close-up ration. Appetite changes and uneven intake show up. Plan mineral coverage now and keep fibre in the diet.
Read more here to understand the role of macro mineral supplementatino for the transitioning dairy cow.

Calving day and first 48–72 hrs

Main risk: Clinical milk fever, down cows, retained foetal membranes and early metabolic disease. Rapid calcium demand at colostrum and milk onset is the trigger.
Read more about post-calving recovery here.

Early lactation (first 3 weeks after calving)

Main risk: Negative energy balance, ketosis, and continued mineral shortfalls. Appetite and rumen recovery are critical; problems here reduce production and fertility.
Read more about the importance of transition when it comes to reproduction.

What to do this week

Record BCS for close-up and springer mobs – flag thin or over-conditioned cows.
Write down the actual daily diet for each mob (pasture %, silage, straw, supplements), and base mineral rates on what cows actually eat.
Choose a mineral delivery method you can reliably manage for close-up and springers (free‑choice, dusting, water, in‑feed) and ensure stock is on hand.
Ensure adequate fibre in the ration (silage or straw) if cows are moving to higher-energy or higher-sugar feeds.
Check water access, break/feedpad space and reduce competition so shy feeders get a consistent intake.

Prepare calving and down‑cow kit and staff instructions for immediate response.

What to monitor

In the paddock

Appetite and clean‑up at feedouts and look for shy feeders or bullying at the break.
Rumen fill and behaviour (dull, off feed, reluctant to move).
Manure consistency changes during any diet step-up.
Any cows showing weakness, reluctance to stand, or milk‑fever‑like signs.

On paper

BCS trend through the dry period and at calving.
Transition plan notes: Step‑up rates, setbacks, and which mobs struggled.
Incidence of down cows, milk fever, retained foetuses and early lactation illness.
Mineral testing outcomes if you run blood or liver checks (timed with vet advice).

Matching products to your system

Agvance has products for each system – free choice, dusting, water-soluble and premix options. Use the following as a starting point. Final rates still depend upon diet details and vet or nutritionist advice.

Dusted on supplement (good when cows are receiving silage, straw or PKE daily and you want consistent intake)

Premium Transition Premix North Island and Premium Transition Premix South Island – Specifically designed for North Island or South Island springers to provide negative DCAD salts and trace minerals needed during transition.
Premium Transition for Maize South Island – Specifically designed for South Island springers on a maize-based diet.
Anionic Springer Blend – Helps reduce the risk of milk fever and other transition issues by lowering DCAD in springer diets.

Added to feed (good for in-shed, TMR, or set supplement feeding)

Premium Transition Premix North Island and Premium Transition Premix South Island – Works well where intake is controlled and you want accurate delivery through in-shed or mixed feed systems.
Premium Transition for Maize South Island – Suited to controlled feeding systems where springers are being fed maize-based diets.
Anionic Springer Blend – Useful where you want close-up cows to receive a consistent anionic mineral supply through accurately mixed feed.
Optiprill Springer Safe South Island – A well-balanced early lactation mineral supplement, specially formulated to be safe to feed to springers while still meeting the mineral requirements of lactating cows.
Optiprill Springer Safe North Island – A well-balanced early lactation mineral supplement, specially formulated to be safe to feed to springers while still meeting the mineral requirements of lactating cows.

Transition and calving cows:

Free Choice Transition Starter – A targeted option for calving cows when you need a practical close-up mineral set for springers.
Free Choice Colostrum Starter – Better fit for freshly calved cows, giving them immediate access to calcium and balanced minerals after calving without individual dosing.

FAQs

What should I check in cows before calving?

A. Appetite, rumen fill, dung consistency, BCS, mobility and udder/teat development. Flag any off‑feed or “flat” cows for closer monitoring.

What should cows be eating before calving?

A. A consistent ration with adequate fibre (silage or straw) and predictable energy. Avoid sudden increases in high‑sugar or high‑energy feeds in the final 2–3 weeks.

Which minerals matter most before calving?

A. Calcium, phosphorus and magnesium are the priorities. Decide coverage based on diet, cow age, BCS and previous milk fever history.

How long should the dry period be?

A. Commonly 6–8 weeks, depending on herd goals and cow condition. Long enough for udder recovery and to avoid excessive BCS gain. Tailor to your herd and vet advice.

How do I choose a delivery method?

A. Match the method to how cows are fed: free‑choice for grazing mobs, dusting for daily supplements, water for reliable water systems, and in‑feed for tight intake control. Pick what you can manage consistently.

When should I call the vet?

For any down cow that won’t stand, sudden clusters of cases (multiple down cows or severe metabolic signs), or when you need diagnostics (blood tests for Ca, Mg, P or metabolic profiling).

Recommended products

Have more questions or ready to order?

Your Agvance Consultant can help you form the best plan of attack for your fodder beet mineral programme. Get in touch today. Ready to order? Simply head to My Account, login or register, and complete your order online.

Transition management (pre-calving to early lactation)

Jump to

Timing and risk windows

Close-up (3 weeks before calving)

Calving day and first 48–72 hrs

Early lactation (first 3 weeks after calving)

What to do this week

What to monitor

Matching products to your system

FAQs

Recommended products

Premium Loose Lick North Island

Anionic Springer Blend

Selenium – SmartSel

Free Choice Transition Starter

Optiprill Rumen Plus SI

Premium Loose Lick South Island

Premium Transition Premix North Island

Premium Transition Premix South Island

Premium Transition for Maize South Island

Optiprill Springer Safe North Island

Optiprill Springer Safe South Island

Custom Premix Options Available

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