Excessive and prolonged negative energy balance (NEB) has become a major problem in the modern high yielding dairy cow, leading to metabolic disorders, poor fertility and subsequently increased culling rates. Exploring potential indicators and possible strategies to reduce excessive NEB is imperative to improving the sustainability of this system. In this study, treatment effects on animal behaviour patterns (used in assessing animal welfare) were investigated in an attempt to identify possible indicators of compromised welfare. A change in the frequency and duration of behavioural activities may be associated with an excessive NEB and prove useful in early detection of metabolic problems.