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Title: CULLING: NOMENCLATURE, DEFINITIONS AND SOME OBSERVATIONS

Author
item FETROW, J - UNIV OF MN, ST PAUL
item NORDLUND, K - UNIV OF WI, MADISON
item Norman, H

Submitted to: Journal of Dairy Science
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/24/2005
Publication Date: 7/24/2005
Citation: Fetrow, J., Nordlund, K., Norman, D. 2005. Culling: nomenclature, definitions and some observations [abstract]. Journal of Dairy Science. 88(Suppl. 1):122.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Replacing cows on a dairy is a major cost of operation. There is a need for the industry to adopt a more standardized approach to reporting the rate at which cows exit from the dairy and to reporting the reasons why cows are replaced and their destination as they exit the dairy. Herd turnover rate is recommended as the preferred term for characterizing the cows that exit a dairy, with herd replacement rate, culling rate, and % exiting all serving as synonyms. Herd turnover rate should be calculated as the number of cows that exit in a defined period of time divided by the animal time at risk for the population being characterized. The terms voluntary and involuntary culling suffer from problems of definition and use and should not be used to sub-divide total culling. Destination should be recorded for all cows that exit the dairy, and opportunities to record one or more reasons for exiting should be provided by record systems as well. Comparing reported reasons between dairies is fraught with peril due to differences in case definitions and recording. Using culling to monitor disease is an ineffective management strategy. Instead, dairies are encouraged to record and monitor disease events and reproductive performance and use these as the basis for management efforts aimed at reducing the need to replace cows.