Culling cow heard

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Bub

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I was wandering what process or things y'all look at to justify cull a cow from your breeding program/heard
 
1. She has to have a calf every 12 months.
2. She can't have a bad bag or a bad attitude.
3. She can't have bad feet.
 
Failure to breed back in a timely manner
Failure to wean a calf that meets my criteria weight wise and quality wise
Poor udder and/or feet
Poor disposition
I just don't like her !!!!!!!
 
Same as what everyone above has listed for the most part.

-Disposition
-Bad feet/back/udder/confirmation
-Decreased milk production/low WW (inefficiency)
-Dystocia (sometimes cut good producers some slack depending on each individual case)
-Multiple pulls of calves at birth
-Age-production/efficiency/fertility declining (we look at teeth for this one sometimes)
-Prolapse (uterine, cervical or vaginal) history
-Non-breeders-open at herd check time. Gotta breed back in a timely manner (I prefer a calf every 12 months or less).

On heifers I also look at reproductive tract/pelvic scoring before we keep replacements.

Some extras in my purebred herd...
-Phenotype of calves-tend to cull or move into commercial herd
-Low EPD values that translate to low production
 
TexasBred":11j036z0 said:
Failure to breed back in a timely manner
Failure to wean a calf that meets my criteria weight wise and quality wise
Poor udder and/or feet
Poor disposition
I just don't like her !!!!!!!


What hammer head said. :hide:
 
SIMMGAL":1xb0opi3 said:
Same as what everyone above has listed for the most part.

-Disposition
-Bad feet/back/udder/confirmation
-Decreased milk production/low WW (inefficiency)
-Dystocia (sometimes cut good producers some slack depending on each individual case)
-Multiple pulls of calves at birth
-Age-production/efficiency/fertility declining (we look at teeth for this one sometimes)
-Prolapse (uterine, cervical or vaginal) history
-Non-breeders-open at herd check time. Gotta breed back in a timely manner (I prefer a calf every 12 months or less).

On heifers I also look at reproductive tract/pelvic scoring before we keep replacements.

Some extras in my purebred herd...
-Phenotype of calves-tend to cull or move into commercial herd
-Low EPD values that translate to low production
x2. We did give our cows a little bit longer than twelve months this year due to getting the bull out with them later last year.
 
That about sums it up for me...
I'll reiterate phenotype since it's only been said once... if it's just the wrong 'type' of animal, and doesn't produce something that IS my 'type', then it's not of much value.
I'll put up with one having a calf 13 months between calves if she makes up for it and catches back up and is otherwise good
Hooves, hooters, hineys all need to be good
disposition is big here too, but if they're exceptional producers I'll wait for another excuse

I'm not in a position (yet) where I can cull everything that has ONE flaw... perhaps in 10-20 years I'll be there
 
I can't believe this one has not been mentioned. It is not a direct on a single cow, but can influence decisions pretty quickly:

DROUGHT!!!!!

We are preg checking and weaning our late summer calves today. I hope the cull pen is light. I know there are 2 that are open.
 
greatgerts":2arqr3k1 said:
I can't believe this one has not been mentioned. It is not a direct on a single cow, but can influence decisions pretty quickly:

DROUGHT!!!!!

We are preg checking and weaning our late summer calves today. I hope the cull pen is light. I know there are 2 that are open.

That's huge. We had a drought for 3 years & I'm still kicking myself for selling some awesome heifers. Having said that, I'm the worst person to give an opinion on culling: they have to have a reallllly bad bag or attitude and they generally don't go unless they're slaughter.
 
Maybe this should be another tread but what do you call a bad bag? I've had a lot of old timers tell me to look at the calf not the bag. My two cows that you'd tell me have the two worst bags weaned the biggest calves.
 
tdc_cattle":s1mugcvg said:
Maybe this should be another tread but what do you call a bad bag?
When it interferes with function or health.
If the udder or the teats have a fault that hinders or prevents a new born calf from getting all the good quality
colostrum the calf wants, then you've kept her at least one lactation too many.
 
greatgerts":2jf2psib said:
I can't believe this one has not been mentioned. It is not a direct on a single cow, but can influence decisions pretty quickly:

DROUGHT!!!!!

We are preg checking and weaning our late summer calves today. I hope the cull pen is light. I know there are 2 that are open.
If it comes to that I just sell the herd. Everything is replaceable on my place.
 
Poor maternal instincts.
Extremely poor conformation.
To little milk.
Too small
If you have a large herd you can afford to be picky but there are some top ones that I see and just have to sell.
 

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