The short productive life of modern high-yielding dairy cows is a welfare and sustainability concern, with improving longevity representing both welfare and economic benefits for producers.
Dairy cow longevity is both a welfare indicator and a welfare determinant. Short productive lives reflect the health costs that intensive milk production imposes on the animals - cows that leave the herd early are predominantly leaving due to lameness, mastitis, reproductive failure, or metabolic disease, all welfare-compromising conditions. Improving longevity requires addressing these underlying health challenges through breeding, management, and housing changes rather than simply selecting for longevity as an independent trait. Cows that survive longer typically have better welfare in their later lactations as their bodies adapt to production demands, creating a positive feedback where longevity improvements compound welfare benefits across the herd.