Field studies of transition cow management using Transition Cow lndex (TM) as the outcome variable have shown that housing constraints related to cow comfort are the major risk factors for fresh cow health in free stall dairies today. Key factors to improve fresh cow health are provision of sufficient bunk space so that all transition cows can eat simultaneously, minimizing social stress or the need to establish social rank during the prepartum period, provision of soft bedded surfaces for standing and resting, and sizing of stalls and packs to facilitate the motions of lying and rising for large, mature cows, and a high quality programme by herd personnel for early identification of fresh cows that need medical attention
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