The transition period is the make-or-break window for your entire season. If this period is poorly managed, you don't just see a few downer cows, you see a downward spiral that affects the cow's health, production and reproduction long into the season.

OPINION: Good governance is critical to the primary sector. Whether it is a rural business, a levy-payer organisation or a research body, we need a pipeline of capable directors with a passion for, and knowledge of, the sector.

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There's a common assumption that effective transition cow management is only practical for high-input farms, as controlled rations can make delivery simpler.

The transition period (typically defined as the three weeks prior to and the three weeks immediately after calving) sets the biological and productive trajectory for the entire lactation by determining how well the cow adapts from pregnancy to peak milk production.