Culling beef cows discussed at New River Ag Field Day

By JANE W. GRAHAM
AFP Correspondent

WHITETHORNE, Va. — The weather cooperated Aug. 17 for the fifth annual New River Valley Agriculture Field Day held here at Kentland Farm, the flagship of Virginia Tech’s Extension research facilities.
While it rained nearby much of the day, the farm on the side of the New River stayed rain-free until the event was over and folks had left.
Attendance ranged around 60 people this year, a little below last year, officials reported. The weather and the economy may have played a part in this.
The state’s hot dry summer and cattle has producers needing to make decisions of how to best use their feed resources this fall and winter.
This need led to a class at the field day about culling cows from the beef herd. “Keep Her or Cull?” was the topic presented by two members of the NRV Extension team, Jim Atwell of Giles and Bland counties and Jason Pratt of Pulaski County.
“Cow culling strategies impact both calf quantity and quality and, when planned and implemented effectively, can greatly enhance the profitability of a cow-calf operation,” Pratt said. “Making informed culling decisions helps maintain a high level of herd performance.
“Even favorite cows should be subject to a systematic culling process. ‘Ole Bessy’ may be a sweetheart, but ask yourself how much you are willing to pay to keep her.”
Atwell and Pratt reviewed a variety of reasons for culling cows and explained the reasons and some of the research behind their recommendations, standard with Extension specialists.
“Production conditions can also influence the best time to remove cows from the herd,” Atwell said. “During drought or other conditions where forage and feed resources are limited, culling deeper into the herd is often appropriate.”
Some of reasons that they outlined for culling are pregnancy status, poor performance, age, mouth, udder, structural soundness, health problems and disposition.
“Appropriate times to cull cows from the herd depend on the reasons behind the culling,” Pratt said. “In cases where cows have developed severe health problems, removal from the herd may need to be immediate.”
Culling in other situations may not need to be done as quickly, they noted.
“If cows are being culled for low performance or other less urgent factors, it often makes sense to wait until after nursing calves are weaned, Atwell said. “If market conditions are such that even cows weaning low-performing calves are generating a profit, it may be cost-effective to hold onto these cows in the near term and then market them before they become unprofitable.”
They noted that receipts from cull cows generally account for 15 to 20 percent of the gross income in beef cow-calf operations. They stressed cull cow price levels and seasonal trends should be considered when deciding to sell cull cows.
“One of the greatest determinants of profitability in a cow-calf operation is reproductive rate,” Pratt said. “Open cows are a drain on resources. They consume feed, forage, and other resources without producing a marketable calf to contribute to expense payments.
“Cows that are open at the end of the breeding season should be at the top of the cull list. Cows that calve outside of a controlled calving season are also potential culls, particularly when feed and forage supplies are running short. Late calving cows should be scrutinized as well, because they have less opportunity to breed back to stay within a controlled breeding season.”
Producers need to be aware of calf performance when culling cows because how the calf does usually reflects on its mother. Such factors as inferior genetics or poor dam milk production may be reasons to consider culling, they taught. Sick calves may not be a reflection on the cows.
“The productive lifetime of a beef cow is variable,” Pratt said. “As long as teeth, udders, feet, and legs are sound, many older cows are often still able to perform well. Breed composition and production environment can play a role in longevity.”
“High-headed” cattle are dangerous and should be prime candidates for culling,” Atwell said. “Culling for unacceptable disposition reduces the risk of injury to both cattle and people.”