Gathering cows to diagnose pregnancy is one of many fixtures on a cow-calf production calendar. The day’s primary objective is making a “pregnant” or “open” call, but another priority should be assessing each cow’s long-term future. Can she comfortably make it another year in the herd? Will she successfully raise a calf? Are her teeth worn? What condition is she in? If it’s her time to be culled, can she withstand the rigors of transport to the livestock auction market and beyond? She’s helped provide for your livelihood, and her well-being should be prioritized to the very end.
Every producer also has their own set of standards for cows to remain in the herd. Some cull due to inadequate udders, others for poor temperament. Yet, there is wide variation in tolerance levels for baseline components that reflect overall well-being, such as lameness, body condition and even health status. These traits not only impact the animal’s experience through the marketing process but may also be the difference between topping the market and getting discounted on sale day.
Final leg of the journey
An older, open cow that is slightly lame and relatively thin is culled. It is a two-hour drive to the nearest livestock auction market. She lays over for two days and is commingled with other cattle in an unfamiliar environment. After being sold, she is transported for eight hours to the nearest market cow processing facility. This cow has sustained 10 hours on a trailer over a three-day journey. It is unlikely that her condition improves during travel. Culling her with more flesh and better feet and legs would have positively affected her experience and would be reflected in her sale value. Utilizing objective scoring systems for mobility and body condition would have helped the producer make a better decision for this cow.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) partnered with CattleFax to publish a guide to cull cattle management called Right Way. Right Time. The guide offers scoring tools for health status, lameness and body condition, and emphasizes the importance of early culling, including its positive impact on the cow, the beef supply chain and the end product (Figure 1). The guide also indicates baseline thresholds for cattle welfare indicators and recommends strategies for adding value to cull animals.
Analyze health, BCS and mobility
Only healthy animals should be marketed. Maintaining herd health throughout an animal’s life leads to better outcomes at culling time. The Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program offers education on the foundations of herd health, including the importance of a veterinary client-patient relationship (VCPR), how to appropriately use and administer animal health products, and sound recordkeeping. When evaluating cows for longevity in the herd, know that certain conditions will be flagged at the packing plant by the USDA inspectors and may be condemned. Examples include nonambulatory animals (downers); cows that have calved during travel or on arrival; those with prolapse, cancer eye, broken limbs or spinal injury; cattle with any indication of recent surgery; or animals with obvious illness (among other conditions). It is the producer’s responsibility to ensure the health of their cattle at the time of shipping. If cattle are experiencing any of these issues, or are likely to become nonambulatory during transport, consider other options (see the Right Way. Right Time. guide).
To measure a cow’s relative fatness and body composition, the beef industry utilizes a 9-point body condition score (BCS) system, that characterizes 1 as emaciated and 9 as obese. The scale is primarily used for nutritional management but should also be considered a tool for culling decisions. Right Way. Right Time. recommends only culling cows that are a BCS 3 or greater (Figure 2). Cows rarely improve in body condition through the marketing process, so even a BCS 3 may be too thin, depending on the expected journey. From a profitability standpoint, heavier-weight cows with more flesh (the difference between a USDA Cutter/Canner grade and a Utility grade) bring higher values through the sale ring.
A 4-point mobility scoring system, developed by the Meat Institute (formerly North American Meat Institute), is used in industry audits and research but can also be implemented on the ranch. All animals are expected to walk into the processing plant. Cattle that move normally and those with minor stiffness or a slight limp that still keep up with others (mobility score 1 and 2) are good candidates to move through the marketing process. Those that have difficulty taking steps, have obvious stiffness or limps, and do not keep up with others (mobility score 3) should be strongly scrutinized and closely evaluated for their ability to make it to the end destination. Establishing a relationship with the nearest local packer could provide a marketing outlet for cows with mobility concerns. Animals that are reluctant to move even with encouragement (mobility score 4) should not be transported. Cattle with mobility scores 3 and 4 are likely to become nonambulatory and may become euthanasia candidates. Euthanasia is not a failure – it may be the best decision for the animal’s welfare.
Add value beyond the basics
Analysts with CattleFax offer additional advice to enhance the value of cull animals. Basic animal welfare indicators for health, BCS and mobility must be met, but opportunities exist to improve sale value by utilizing alternative marketing options. Right Way. Right Time. outlines three potential strategies.
- Early season culling: Producers might consider early season culling to avoid seasonal price weakness for cull animals. As more culled animals infiltrate the market, prices decrease into the fall. If spring-calving producers have an opportunity to make culling decisions earlier, which often aligns with better welfare outcomes, they will likely see higher returns. Be aware of issues with full udders, which can be a challenge at the packing plant due to the contaminant nature of raw milk.
- Spring marketing: If an animal can remain in the herd through the fall and winter, another option might be retaining them to add weight and marketing them in the spring. CattleFax data indicates that producers who can add 100 pounds to their cows over a three-month period will be rewarded by the market. It is ideal to select animals with less flesh that have greater potential to increase quality grade from Cutter/Canner to Utility. Older cows need to be mobile and have sufficient teeth.
- Selling late-bred cows: The last recommendation is selling late-bred cows. Cows are often culled due to lack of pregnancy. Leaving a bull in with the herd for an additional 30 days provides the opportunity for cows to become pregnant outside the ideal calving window, but those late-bred females can now be marketed as bred. CattleFax data suggests on average, bred females will bring around a $400 premium per head to Utility-grade cull cows. This strategy requires increased management and planning, as pregnancy detection is important to identify short-bred, later-calving cows that should be sent to market.
It is a producer’s obligation to evaluate cull animals before marketing. Selling unhealthy, unsound, thin cows negatively affects the image of the beef industry. For cull animals that meet the baselines, alternative marketing opportunities are a bonus that can further enhance herd profitability. For more information, download Right Way. Right Time. on the NCBA website.
