Breeding
By Myra Basham
Things To Consider When Culling Females The longevity and uniqueness of the Texas Longhorn, coupled with the affection many breeders hold for the animals can make culling time even more difficult than it is for other cattle breeds. The fact remains, however, that anyone who breeds cattle must deal with letting some go at some point in their journey. Whether culling due to lack of available pasture or a desire to improve the genetic pool, there are criteria you can consider to assist in making those tough decisions at the very least rational ones. First, establish your baseline of what a cow must do to “earn” her spot in your pasture and justify a feed bill. Such requirements may include: • Calves regularly • Breeds back easily • Produces enough milk • Structural soundness • Offspring as good or better than her • Good Temperament • Fits my program goals It would be safe to say that any female that gets a strong yes in all your basic requirements should move to the “keep” list. Now take a look at the females that fell short in a category, and weigh positives against shortcomings. This is where emotions need to be set aside and a critical look taken at the details. For many in the cattle industry, not producing a live calf or not raising one successfully to weaning is an immediate cull. However, in the Longhorn industry, giving the female another chance is more common. If the need to cull is urgent and she falls short in any of the other categories she may need to move to the cull list. A cow that is difficult to breed back would need to excel in all other categories to not risk being put on the cull list. Any cow can have a season where she may not re-breed as quickly, but when it is a constant issue she may need to go. Take a broader look at milk production. Is the structure of her udder good? Are the teats well formed, making it easy for a newborn calf to feed? While the idea of bottle babies seems cute at times, it is not the situation desired. Milking ability is a heritable trait, and you don’t want to risk propagating low milk yield within your herd. However, if you’ve successfully bred her with bulls with milk producing dams and gotten exceptional offspring then those shortcomings could be overcome. Structural soundness has many factors and some are more critical than others. The ability to walk and withstand breeding activity without pain or impediment should be a priority. If the structural issue has shown up in any offspring, then this may be a case to cull. In the case of injury causing the problem, if the genetics and other characteristics are strong and the cow can be kept comfortable with special care then she may be worth retaining if you have the space. 18 | May 2018
Does Cull Always Mean Defective? While the term cull can apply to removing undesirable or unproductive animals from a herd, it may simply mean pulling from your herd to reduce its size. This is one reason why you see top quality animals selling at auction or private treaty. Many keep the genetics in their herd through offspring and wish to create income while reducing the size of their herd. Often it is simple economics of number cattle versus acreage available. In addition, when trying to improve the genetics in a small herd, animals that don’t meet your goals must be sold to make room for new purchases who will take you in the direction you choose. They may not be right for you, but a great asset for another type of program. Breeders who are truly trying to rid their herd of animals with issues should take those to a local livestock market or processor and not sell them back into the registered Texas Longhorn marketplace. Temperament is heritable. There is no reason to keep a cow that poses a high risk to the safety of others. Calm animals are not only safer, they also produce better quality beef. If she makes you wear your running shoes in the pasture, she needs to be considered for the cull list. The last two basics go hand in hand. A cow that is not producing as good or better than herself cannot help you reach program goals that include herd improvement. The only reason to keep such a female off the cull list would be as a recip cow (one that carries an embryo pregnancy) if she is structurally sound, a good milker and a great mother. While female Longhorns can be productive up into their late teens and some into their early 20’s, age should be considered, especially when extreme circumstances such as drought or economic pressures are driving the need to reduce numbers. If you are limited in what you can keep, then younger proven producers with immediate income potential should stay. Older cattle that are harder to keep fit, along with very young cattle that will need to be fed for a couple of years before they are income producers should be the first considered for potential culls. In the end, it may be easier for those who find this process stressful to call in a knowledgeable breeder to look at their herd and maybe point out things that one may be overlooking in their own cattle. With a goal of herd improvement, culling is a necessary tool.
TEXAS LONGHORN TRAILS