The productive lifespan of farm animals is a composite welfare indicator integrating health, management quality, and genetic suitability; longer-lived animals typically experience better welfare throughout their lives.
Longevity is a welfare indicator because it correlates with the health and management quality that enables animals to remain productive. Animals with chronic welfare problems — lameness, mastitis, reproductive failure — leave production earlier than healthy counterparts. Conversely, selecting for and managing toward longevity requires addressing the welfare-compromising conditions that cause early culling. The commercial alignment between longevity and welfare makes it a particularly valuable metric for industry engagement.