COW culling is the major management concern for the beef herd during the fall. Should the same criteria used for culling last year be used again this year? Market conditions, cattle numbers and feed supplies are factors that may have a greater influence on which cows get shipped to market this fall. With high calf prices, producers do not need to cull any deeper than necessary. With cattle numbers down nationwide, it makes sense to cull only those cows that cannot be productive and profitable next year. First, let discuss which cows should be culled. Any cow in poor physical condition should be culled. This includes cows with arthritis, old cows that cannot get around and cows that are unthrifty with no apparent cause. Any cow with a bad dispositionshould be culled. There are no exceptions to this rule. Economics do not factor into this decision. Cows with bad dispositions cannot be kept because of the risks of injury or death to producers and their families. They also pose financial risks because of what they may tear up.
展开▼
