High-producing dairy cows have shorter working lives than their biological potential, largely due to welfare-compromising conditions that cause lameness, mastitis, and reproductive failure.
Dairy cow longevity is a proxy for welfare management quality. Cows that are frequently lame, chronically ill with mastitis, or reproductively compromised are both suffering and being culled prematurely. High-yielding dairy genetics push cows to metabolic limits that compromise immune function and reproductive capacity. The economic incentive of replacing worn-out cows rather than preventing the conditions that wear them out has historically dominated decision-making. Welfare-focused farms that invest in prevention — good flooring, appropriate stocking, prompt treatment, and adequate feeding — achieve longer productive lives alongside better individual welfare.