The average dairy cow in intensive systems is culled after 2-3 lactations, far below her natural lifespan. Improving longevity through welfare-positive management benefits both individual cows and farm sustainability.
Dairy cow longevity is a welfare indicator that reflects the cumulative quality of lifetime management. Cows culled after 2-3 lactations experience a shortened life that often ends due to welfare-compromising conditions — lameness, mastitis, reproductive failure — that could have been prevented or better managed. The economic case for extending productive longevity aligns with the welfare case: healthy cows with well-managed welfare problems remain productive longer, requiring fewer replacements and generating better lifetime returns. Longevity improvement programs simultaneously improve individual cow welfare and farm financial sustainability.