Trillions of microbes. One fragile peace. The battle for balance begins.

Not long ago, dairy herd management relied mostly on stockmanship, a good eye, strong memory, and years of experience. That still counts, but technology is quietly transforming how decisions are made on farm.

With recent discussions around dry cow management gaining momentum, it’s important to address the ongoing unavailability of Kexxtone and how this impacts transition cow strategies on farm.

As daylight hours shorten, lighting becomes one of the most powerful tools in flock management. When handled well, it keeps egg output steady, supports shell quality, and helps maintain calm, stable behaviour.

With Kexxtone™ boluses no longer available, transition cow management is facing renewed scrutiny. For many, particularly those managing high-risk or high-yielding herds, the question is: how do we continue to support energy balance and rumen function in the final weeks before calving without relying on monensin?

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Why calcium balance matters

Around calving, a cow’s calcium needs triple to produce colostrum and milk. If her body cannot mobilise calcium fast enough, she may suffer from milk fever (clinical hypocalcaemia) or hidden low calcium (subclinical hypocalcaemia). Both can cause loss of appetite, weaker muscles, and higher risk of disease, leading to reduced fertility and milk yield.

As a placement student from Harper Adams, I am fortunate to go out on farm with specialists and disappear into the background despite my size!

Good dry cow management launches them into lactation. Every dairy farmer knows the weeks around calving are critical. The “transition period” (about three weeks before and after calving) is when cows face their toughest metabolic test. Feed intake drops just as energy demands rise, and the cow starts pulling on her fat reserves. Managed well, she glides through this phase and into milk production. Managed poorly, she’s at risk of ketosis, fatty liver, retained placenta, displaced abomasum, or fertility issues later on.