Overview of lifetime welfare planning for dairy cows, from birth to end of productive life.
Dairy cow lifetime welfare requires attention from birth through the productive period to culling and slaughter. Many welfare discussions focus on peak lactation welfare, neglecting calf welfare, dry period welfare, and cull cow welfare. Integrating lifetime welfare planning into farm management and certification schemes ensures welfare at all stages is monitored and managed. Longevity as a breeding goal aligns with welfare by reducing the frequency of disease-vulnerable transition periods.