Farmed Animals

Dairy Cow Longevity and Premature Culling

Dairy cows can live 20 years but are typically culled at 4 to 6 years when production declines, raising questions about systemic welfare and the economics of farm animal lives.

Key Facts

A healthy dairy cow can produce milk for 10 or more lactation cycles over a 15-year career
Most commercial dairy cows are culled at their third or fourth lactation, around age 5 to 6
The leading cause of culling is reproductive failure, followed by mastitis and lameness
Selective breeding for high milk yield has been linked to shortened productive life
Longevity breeding programs can produce cows with productive lives of 8 or more years

Welfare Considerations

Premature culling means dairy cows spend their entire productive lives cycling through pregnancy, birth, calf separation, and intensive milking before being slaughtered while still physiologically capable of years more life. Welfare science increasingly recognizes that longevity itself is a welfare indicator — chronic disease, lameness, and reproductive failure that trigger early culling indicate poor lifetime welfare rather than simply economic inefficiency.

What You Can Do

Support dairies committed to cow longevity and low culling rates
Advocate for welfare metrics that include productive longevity in farm assurance schemes
Reduce dairy consumption or transition toward plant-based alternatives
Support policy requiring welfare outcome reporting including culling rates on farms