We don't cull for age. Got to be another "first strike" before we even worry about age. Have buried a couple that deserved to pass on here. My first sale barn baby heifer calf raised 11 heifers and 3 bull/steer calves and I put her down when she slipped and got down with her steer calf at 5 months.... she was 18. My 1st guernsey cow was 14.... 8 on her first farm, then 6 on mine. Had a super Red Poll bull that was going on 14 or 15.... broke a bone in his hock about 7-8 yrs old; and vet said he would never be any good.... kept him nearly 6 months with some sheep in a small pasture and it healed and he went on and bred cows for another 6 years. Have 2 angus bulls that we bought in 2011 and 2012.... both easy calving bulls and both still used on heifers because they are easy breeders.... easy to work with dispositions....
We have many cows that are at least 10 or more. We cull for being open, bad legs, bad feet, BAD DISPOSITIONS all before age. Then we look at if they are raising at least an average calf... if the calf is small, and doesn't gain, then we know her milk supply is just getting used up with her age. We tend to keep more heifers out of the cows that are here longer.... and we look at resistance to pinkeye also. Have families that just don't get it much and they are also more often keepers. Will cull for a bad udder only if the calf can't seem to get on the teats to suck. Or mastitis or blind quarters of course. Have one that is a 2 teater, but she raises a calf that will weigh right in with the averages so she stays. Had mastitis as a heifer, had several that year and I blame it on a heavy fly problem. She does her job with 2 and is an easy keeper and will come into a catch pen no matter where we put her. Great one to help teach others.
I also look at older cows at sales. Don't want bred heifers, don't care what their lineage is. Have a farmer here that routinely sells older 7-9 yr old cows and have gotten a few of them over the years and gone on to get a few more nice calves and kept some of those heifer calves....
Buy some one and dones; and have kept them for more than one because they did good and kept their body condition. Sell alot of them and have kept some of the heifer calves off them.
I want longevity. I want decent quiet dispositions, I want easy keepers, I want worm and pinkeye resistant cattle, I want cows that will raise a calf with little or no "muss and fuss", on grass and winter hay with not alot of inputs.
