The short productive lifespan of modern dairy cows reflects welfare-compromising production systems and is a key indicator of the sustainability of the dairy industry.
Dairy cow longevity is both a welfare indicator and a management outcome. When cows are culled at 5-6 years because their bodies break down under production demands, this reflects a system that is consuming animals faster than they can recover. Lameness, mastitis, and reproductive failure are not inevitable — they are largely preventable with appropriate nutrition, housing, veterinary management, and genetic selection. The industry has strong economic incentives to improve longevity, which means welfare and financial interests are more aligned here than in many areas of animal agriculture. Progress requires both consumer pressure and regulatory minimum lifetime welfare standards.