Feeding and management during the transition period i.e. three weeks immediately before and three weeks after calving, has a significant influence on milk production and fertility. Therefore, time and money spent during transition should be considered as valuable investments for improving farm profitability. Poor feeding and management during the transition period can result in a host of problems around calving such as dystocia, retained placenta, milk fever (hypocalcaemia), grass staggers or hypomagnesaemia, rapid weight loss and ketosis. Most health disorders occur during this time. Feed intake tends to decline as calving approaches, and does not peak until about 10 to 12 weeks after calving. This is the opposite of cow requirements as nutrient demands increase rapidly in the last two months of pregnancy, and cows achieve peak milk yields about six to eight weeks after calving. When cows dip into a negative energy balance, non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) and beta hydroxy butyrate (BHBA) levels in the blood increase. This is due to large amounts of body fat being utilized as an energy source to support colostrum or milk production., results is ketosis. Nutrition and management programs during this phase directly affect the incidence of post-calving disorders, milk production and reproduction in the subsequent lactation.

Keywords:BHBA,transition,LiverLipid, Metabolism,NEFA.