The objective of the study was to investigate the metabolic, health and production consequences of selected pre-calving feeding strategies. Forty Polish Holstein-Friesian multiparous dairy cows were dried off at day 56 before parturition and assigned to 2 pre-calving treatments: CON – a 5-week far-off period and a 3-week close-up period, and SHORT – a 7-week far-off period and a 1-week close-up period with a fresh transition diet. Shortening the close-up period had no effect on body condition score during the dry period; however, a tendency to the lowest body condition score (BCS) losses were observed in the SHORT group during the first 56 days of lactation (P = 0.13). Cows from the SHORT group tended to have higher glucose concentration 3 days before calving (P = 0.13). Shortening the close-up period resulted in a higher insulin level (P = 0.04) and lower concentration of β-hydroxybutyric acid in the blood 28 days after parturition (P = 0.03). Cows from the SHORT group were characterized by a higher concentration of triiodothyronine 3 days before calving (P = 0.03) and tended to have a higher level of thyroxine 5 days after parturition (P = 0.09). A tendency to higher yield of energy corrected milk (P = 0.09) and fat content in milk was observed in the SHORT group (P = 0.11). There were no differences between treatments in terms of reproductive performance. Simplification of the transition period management and shortening of the close-up period led to a positive tendency to increase the yield of energy corrected milk, with no negative effect on the metabolic status and reproductive performance of dairy cows.