The average dairy cow in modern intensive systems lives only 2-3 lactations before culling, representing both a welfare failure and an indicator of systemic health problems.
Early dairy cow culling is simultaneously a welfare indicator and a welfare cause. Animals culled at 4-5 years for lameness or mastitis experienced those conditions before culling — their short lives were partially characterized by the pain of these conditions. High culling rates signal systemic health management failures that indicate poor welfare quality across the herd. Longevity-focused breeding and management that produces cows able to sustain production across 5-8 lactations demonstrates better welfare — healthier animals requiring less veterinary intervention, experiencing less disease-related suffering, and living longer productive lives. Welfare certification that tracks and rewards longevity creates aligned incentives for this improvement.