Genetic selection in cattle has profound welfare implications through its effects on disease resistance, longevity, and physiological health. Welfare-informed breeding improves outcomes for millions of animals.
Cattle genetics is a powerful but often overlooked lever for welfare improvement, as the inherited characteristics of animals determine their physiological resilience, disease susceptibility, and longevity in farm environments. The recognition that decades of single-minded selection for production traits has inadvertently compromised welfare by increasing susceptibility to metabolic disease and reducing productive lifespan has driven incorporation of health and welfare traits into modern breeding indices. The development of polled dairy genetics that eliminate horn growth entirely offers the prospect of ending painful disbudding practices across entire dairy populations over coming generations. Investment in genetic selection for welfare-positive traits represents one of the most scalable and durable welfare improvements available to the dairy and beef industries.