Dairy cow reproductive management involves hormonal synchronisation and repeated artificial insemination. Understanding the welfare implications helps consumers and farmers make informed choices.
Reproductive management in dairy cows raises welfare concerns at multiple points: the stress and discomfort of repeated handling for hormonal injections, the pain associated with reproductive tract disease, and the physiological burden on high-producing cows whose bodies prioritise milk at the expense of fertility. Cows culled for reproductive failure — often after just three or four lactations — lose years of potential life, and the transition period surrounding each calving is the highest-risk phase for disease and suffering. The intensive management of dairy reproduction is a direct consequence of breeding for high yields at the expense of health, robustness, and natural fertility. Dual-purpose or lower-yield genetics often produce cows with better natural fertility and longer productive lives.