Modern dairy cows are culled from herds at an average age of 4-5 years — far below their natural lifespan — due to production-related health problems, representing a significant welfare concern in the dairy sector.
The short productive life of modern dairy cows reflects a welfare problem built into the production model. High-yield genetics create cows that are metabolically overwhelmed by lactation demands, chronically prone to health problems including ketosis, displaced abomasum, and mastitis, and reproductively compromised from the energy drain of production. These animals live lives of chronic physiological stress rather than the baseline good health that should be the welfare standard. Early culling removes welfare problems by removing the animal rather than addressing the conditions that create them. A welfare-positive dairy model would prioritize cow longevity through selection for health and metabolic efficiency alongside yield, management practices that support immune function and metabolic balance, and conditions that allow cows to reach their productive potential without being destroyed by it.