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177: Culling Decisions That Could Save Your Operation Thousands · CattleUSA Daily

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  Welcome to the Cattle USA Daily podcast, your go to source for
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  the latest livestock markets, industry insights and the
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  updates shaping agriculture today.
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  I'm your host Lauren Moylan, a passionate advocate for
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  agriculture, here to keep you informed and connected.
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  Now let's dive into today's episode.
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  Colleen isn't just about getting rid of cows that don't look
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  good. It is one of the most important
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  economic decisions you'll make in your herd.
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  Done right, it boost efficiency, frees up pasture and feed, and
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  improves your average return per cow.
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  Done wrong, it'll cost you in feed, in replacements, and in
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  missed opportunity. Today we are going to talk about
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  when a cow becomes more of a liability than an asset and how
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  to know when it's time to sell and how to make those decisions
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  based on economics and efficiency, not just emotion.
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  Coal cows actually make up a bigger part of your bottom line
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  than a lot of people realize. For many cow calf operations,
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  coal cow sales can account for 15 to 30% of total revenue.
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  So this isn't just a side note, it is a major line item.
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  Holding on to cows that aren't producing, whether that's open
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  cows, poor doers, or ones with chronic problems, eats away at
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  feed and labor. And in today's market, that's
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  money you simply cannot afford to waste.
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  Efficiency matters. Every mouth on your operation
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  should be earning its keep, and sometimes that means making your
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  hard calls to let certain cattle go, even if they've been with
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  you for a while. So let's break it down.
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  Who actually makes the list? First, open cows.
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  If she didn't breathe back, she's costing you every single
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  day to keep her. She's using feed, labor and time
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  without producing a return. Next, you've got age and
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  declining productivity. As cows get older, their
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  maintenance needs go up while their efficiency goes down.
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  Teeth wear, utters breakdown and it just takes more feed to
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  maintain the same body condition.
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  Then there's chronic issues, feet utters, disposition, poor
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  mothering. One problem on its own might be
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  manageable but when they stack up it is time.
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  And don't forget about calf performance.
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  If cows calves are constantly weaning light or off type that
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  is a red flag. You're feeding her the same as
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  the top producers, but she's returning less.
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  Finally, look at your feed situation.
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  Rising feed cost Change the math fast.
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  A cow that penciled in last year simply might not this year.
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  Timing is everything when it comes to calling.
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  Coal prices usually drop in the fall when everyone is selling at
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  once. If you can hold and feed them
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  efficiently through winter, you might pick up another hundred or
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  two per head by spring. But that only works if the feed
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  cost doesn't eat the profit. If it costs you $900 to hold
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  her, you might gain $200 in price.
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  That is not a win. At the end of the day,
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  replacement costs matter too. If red heifers are sky high,
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  maybe you hold on to some older cows for another year.
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  But if replacement prices are soft, it might make sense to
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  turn over more cows. Crank checking also plays a big
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  role here. The earlier you know which cows
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  are open, the sooner you can move them before they lose value
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  or body condition. Here is a simple example.
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  Let's say you've got a nine year old cow that's been weaning
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  light calves. She's starting to lose teeth and
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  feed prices are climbing. If you keep her, she'll cost you
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  roughly $900 in feed and care through winter.
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  Right now her coal value is $1300.
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  If you wait until spring, maybe you'll get 1500.
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  That is a $200 gain, but you spent $900 to get there.
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  In that case, holding her doesn't pencil out.
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  When you run this kind of math, it takes the guesswork out of
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  the emotional side. You're just comparing cost
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  versus return. Here's what separates reactive
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  cooling from strategic cooling. Set a target cool right?
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  Somewhere around 15 to 25% is pretty common for most
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  operations. That keeps your herd young,
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  productive, and efficient. Keep records, track weaning
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  weights, calving intervals, health problems, and use that
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  data, not memory, to make decisions.
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  Crack check early so you can market open cows while they
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  still have value and if you can stagger your sales.
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  Don't dump all your coals in the market when everyone else does.
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  Space them out if feed and conditions allow.
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  Also, talk to your local market managers to discuss the best
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  time to bring them into your local auctions.
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  Each culling decision is also a selection decision.
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  Every cow that leaves opens a spot for a more efficient,
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  better producing female to take her place.
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  So here's what I want you to think about this week.
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  Culling isn't just about managing problems, it's about
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  managing profit. The cow that doesn't pay her way
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  is taking feed from the ones that do.
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  Look at your records, run the math, and don't be afraid to
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  make the call when the numbers tell you that it is time.
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  Because in this business, efficiency is the difference
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  between surviving the year and actually getting ahead.
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  That is all for today's episode of the Cattle USA Daily podcast.
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  I'm Lauren Moylan. Thank you for listening.
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  If you're watching on YouTube, make sure that you like and
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  subscribe and we will see you all next time.