Disbudding is routinely performed in more than 90% of Czech dairy farms. Although research shows that the procedure is painful and may have long term consequences, current legislation still allows calves to be disbudded without any medication up to four weeks of age. The rationale for this age limit is unclear, as existing studies do not suggest that younger calves experience less pain—if anything, the opposite may be true. Early exposure to intense pain may also influence later pain sensitivity. The aim of this study was therefore to determine whether the age of calves at disbudding affects the likelihood that farmers notice different signs of pain. Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that calf age at disbudding does not influence farmers’ recognition of pain-related behaviours. Data were collected through questionnaires distributed during professional seminars and via sector organisations, resulting in response from 130 farms. The questionnare consisted of 37 closed and open-ended questions about farm characteristics, early ontogeny housing of calves, disbudding practice and farmers‘ opinions. We used logistic regression with a binomial distribution and logit link to analyse the effects of housing type, calf age (1–2 vs. 3–4 weeks), use of medication, and farm culling rate on the dependent variable “farmer-observed pain behaviours”. Model selection was based on AIC. Calves were disbudded at the age of 14 ± 9 (mean ± SD) days. Pain signs were reported by 22.5% of farmers. Farmers most commonly observed increased head rubbing or shaking, along with a decreased milk intake. Calf age at disbudding did not have a statistically significant effect (χ² = 1.81; p = 0.071), although there was a tendency for farmers to report more pain behaviour in younger calves (1–2weeks) compared with calves aged 3–4 weeks. None of the other variables, including medication use, were significant (p > 0.05). The lack of a medication effect may reflect inconsistent application or farmers’ limited ability to assess its efficacy. Although age was not statistically significant, the observed trend suggests that farmers’ subjective assessment of pain may be influenced by the age of the calf at the time of the procedure. It is also possible that younger calves receive more attention, increasing the likelihood of noticing pain behaviours regardless of actual pain presence or intensity. These findings highlight the need for improved farmer training in objective pain assessment and raise questions about the continued practice of performing disbudding without medication.