Tail docking of dairy cattle was practiced to reduce mastitis risk, but evidence shows it provides no health benefit and causes significant acute and chronic pain. Bans have been implemented in many countries.
Tail docking is a welfare harm that persisted due to tradition and misperception of its benefits, not evidence. The tail is used by cattle for fly switching behavior that reduces insect irritation — its removal causes ongoing discomfort during fly season that compounds the pain of the procedure itself. Multiple systematic reviews have found no association between tail docking and reduced mastitis, definitively undermining the rationale for the practice. Countries that have banned tail docking have not seen increased udder health problems. Advocating for bans where they do not yet exist, and choosing dairy products from producers who have committed to intact tails, directly reduces this unnecessary welfare harm.