Culling

Question 1

describe culling and the 2 possible destinations after culling in dairy

Answer 1

culling: exiting the milking herd

destinations:
-died (euthanasia or other causes of death)
-sold: slaughter (human consumption), slavage (rendering, non-human food), dairy purposes (sold to another dairy or to a beef farm as a replacement cow)

Question 2

what is the hope with culling?

Answer 2

to maximize the purpose of the animal

1. slaughter for high quality human food
   -after euthanasia at an inspected and regulated harvest plant
   -all non-edible tissue have a use
   -younger animals are more valuable
2. salvage/rendering
3. death or euthanasia on the farm is wasteful
   -usually follows illness

Question 3

how long do different types of cows usually live?

Answer 3

1. terminal beef cattle (steers and heifers)
   -18-24months at harvest
2. beef cattle (mama cows):
   -can live and reproduce 10-20+ years
   -typically are in the herd and productive for 5-10 years
3. dairy cattle:
   -can live and reproduce and make milk for 10+ years
   -typically in the herd for 3-8 years

Question 4

what do we need to do if we want to keep our dairy barn full but not over full?

Answer 4

1. each animal that leaves must be replaced
2. each replacement animal must push out another
3. herds must have a plan to remove and replace animals
   -takes approx 2 years for a cow from birth to parturition

Question 5

how to sell a cull animal?

Answer 5

1. if they just die
   -compost
   -bury
   -incinerate
   -costs money :(
   -if used euthanasia solution, must be very careful with how you dispose of the body
2. salvage/rendering:
   -harvesting usable products from animals: hide, bones, fat, muscle for pet food, animal feed, biofuel, fertilizer, etc.
   -very location dependent: must be close to animal operation
   -usually no payment to producer but free removal
   -some plants don’t want animals contianing pentobarbitol
3. sell for harvest:
   -direct to harvest plant
   -through local auction barn (sale barn)
   -usually paid based on hanging carcass quality and quantity
   -if condemned: you get $0 and maybe have a fee for disposal
   -larger regional plants
   -smaller local plants: may or may not want to buy beef, can be inspected and then you can sell to consumer

Question 6

describe the process of selling to a local sale barn

Answer 6

1. you haul or sale barn can come pick up
2. buyers can see animal before auction
3. bidders buy animals one at a time or in small groups
4. price is by the pound
5. buyers of cull cows will gather groups and then:
   -take them to a harvest plant to sell for beef or
   -take them home to put weight on them or
   -gather smaller groups from several sale brns to make a big group or
   -take her to another sale barn to sell her back

Question 7

how are cull animals traced through all their next steps?

Answer 7

1. USDA ADT guidelines
2. back tags: code from sale barn and date allows for short term tracing
3. radio frequency ID (in ears, much more common these days)

Question 8

describe a pot belly cattle trailer

Answer 8

1. usually 50,000lbs of cargo
   -fully loaded truck allowed to weight 80,000lbs
2. most efficient way to carry long distance
3. 28 hour law: maximum time without unloading

Question 9

what is shrink?

Answer 9

weight loss from travel

-some of it is due to dehydration via GI losses and no water intake

-some is respiratory related

Question 10

are non-ambulatory animals fit for transport?

Answer 10

NO; should not leave the farm unless transported for veterinary attention

Question 11

how does removal from a dairy herd correlate with herd size?

Answer 11

larger herds seem to have more animals that are permanently removed

Question 12

do herds usually raise their own replacements or buy them?

Answer 12

depends on quality, availability, cost, and ease

1. beef cow calf herds:
   -do some of both
2. dairy herds:
   -traditionally raise on farm
   -sometimes buy if short or expanding herd size: buy a close-up pregnant heifer (7-9 months pregnant) or a fresh heifer
   -sometimes sell extras

Question 13

how do you determine which animal to cull?

Answer 13

1. start with the worst animal on the farm
   -low current production
   -low future potential (not pregnant)
2. replace with a superior animal
3. consider the economic tradeoff

Question 14

describe the economics of culling and replacement

Answer 14

1. cash cost: short term
2. medium to long term economic cost:
   -compare expected future $ return of each animal
   -look at genotype, phenotype, and history

-see example on slide in ppt

Question 15

describe the economic cost of culling a beef cow

Answer 15

-if she didn’t get pregnant this season:
-cost of carrying her over one year extra is high as there is no income from a calf this year

-if she raises inferior calves than her herdmates: gets more complicated

Question 16

describe the speed of herd turnover/culling rater

Answer 16

1. lower culling rate:
   -fewer replacements to raise or buy
   -low producing cows get to stay
   -herd is older
2. higher culling rate:
   -higher replacement cost
   -faster improvement in herd output
   -herd is younger

optimum: in the middle, is herd dependent and is a cow by cow decision