Modern dairy cows are frequently culled at young ages due to disease and reproductive failure. Improving longevity is both a welfare and sustainability goal for the dairy industry.
Short productive lifespans in dairy cows reflect underlying welfare problems: cows are culled because they are too sick, lame, or reproductively compromised to remain productive. The welfare cost accumulates across the herd — high disease rates, repeated health events, and accelerated reproductive pressure. Farms that prioritise longevity typically have better welfare because they address root causes (lameness, nutrition, transition health) rather than culling their way out of problems. Extending the productive lifespan of dairy cows is simultaneously a welfare, economic, and environmental improvement.