Modern dairy cows are culled at an average of 2-3 lactations — far short of their biological potential. Improving longevity through better welfare reduces suffering and improves sustainability.
Dairy cow longevity is a direct welfare metric — early culling means a life cut short, usually because of painful conditions including lameness and mastitis that impaired production beyond economic viability. A cow culled at 5 years has experienced a fraction of her biologically possible lifespan. Improving longevity through better welfare management — controlling lameness, mastitis, and reproductive problems — extends lives and reduces the suffering from these conditions. There is a genuine alignment between welfare and sustainability: cows that live longer have lower lifetime environmental impact per unit of milk produced. Farms that prioritize welfare consistently achieve better longevity, demonstrating that the trade-off between intensive production and animal welfare is not inevitable.