Replenishing the herd

Question 1

Culling rates

Answer 1

○ Beef - 15% replacement rate
○ Dairy - 25% replacement rate

Question 2

Reasons for culling

Answer 2

Voluntary culling
○ Age
○ Low milk yield
○ Conformation (including poor udder shape)
○ Behaviour

Involuntary culling
○ Reproductive problems
§ Barren, abortion
§ Calving difficulties
○ Infectious diseases
§ Mastitis/somatic cell counts
§ TB reactors
§ Control programmes
○ Non-infectious diseases
§ Lameness
§ Digestive problems (e.g. LDA)
○ Injury
○ Downer cow
○ Slow milker
○ Management policy