How to Make Culling and Transporting Decisions
National Milk Producers Federation guidelines can help.
Culling and transporting decisions are an important aspect of your dairy enterprise, but what’s the best way to make these decisions? Richard L. Wallace, DVM, MS, Extension Veterinarian with the University of Illinois, recommends that you consider adhering to the “Top 10 Considerations for Culling and Transporting Dairy Animals to a Packing or Processing Facility,” developed by the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF).
According to Dr. Wallace these NMPF guidelines can help you make appropriate decisions on the suitability of an animal to be shipped.
NMPF Top 10 Considerations
1. Do not move non-ambulatory animals to market under any circumstances.
2. Make the decision to treat, cull, or euthanize animals promptly. Sick and injured animals should be segregated from the herd.
3. Delay transport of an animal that appears to be exhausted or dehydrated until the animal is rested and re-hydrated.
4. Milk all cows that are still lactating just prior to transporting to a processing facility.
5. Use a transportation company that is knowledgeable about your animal care expectations and provides for safety and comfort during transport.
6. Do not transport animals to a packing or processing facility until all proper treatment withdrawal times have been observed.
7. Do not transport animals with a poor body condition, generally a body condition score of less than 2 (1-5 scale).
8. Do not transport animals that require mechanical assistance to rise and are reluctant or unable to walk, except for veterinary treatment. When using any handling device, abuse must not be tolerated.
9. Do not transport animals with bone fractures of the limbs or injuries to the spine. Animals with a recent fracture unrelated to mobility should be culled and transported directly to a processing facility.
10. Do not transport animals that will not pass pre-slaughter inspection at a packing or processing facility. If unsure, consult with your veterinarian before transporting.
Dr. Wallace believes that the dairy industry needs to shift its thought processes regarding the classification of surplus animals. “There are actually two classes of animals on dairy farms: production animals and market animals,” he explains. “Production animals include lactating cows, dry cows,
replacement heifers and potentially bulls for breeding. Market animals would include cull cows and bull calves. All production animals eventually become market animals. To that end, the dairy industry should discontinue using terms like cull, spent, salvage, junk and surplus, and begin using the term market
when referring to animals that are no longer economically productive.”
The decision to market a cow isn’t always easy, according to Dr. Wallace. When making a marketing decision, he suggests that dairy producers consider many cow factors such as age, stage of lactation, milk production, health status, disposition and reproductive performance. “Other economic factors
such as current milk price, market cow price, and cost and availability of replacement heifers may have a role in determining whether or not to market a cow,” he adds.
Dairy cow marketing decisions can have an important influence on the financial success of the dairy, Dr. Wallace emphasizes. “Voluntary marketing decisions can function as a component of genetic improvement programs designed for long-term gain and improved production efficiency. On the other hand, involuntary marketing may represent failure or limited success of health programs, resulting in cows leaving the herd prematurely due to death, disease or healthrelated
problems.”
Be Careful to Comply with Antibiotic Withdrawal Times
Carefully avoid marketing dairy cattle destined for slaughter that have been treated with antibiotics until the specified withdrawal time has ended, reminds University of Illinois Extension Veterinarian Richard L. Wallace.
Dr. Wallace recommends working with your herd veterinarian, and following these seven steps, to help ensure your market animals are free from antibiotic residues:
1. Use the neck or shoulder as preferred injection site, when possible.
2. Read, understand and follow all product labels.
3. Avoid intramuscular (IM) injections when other labeled administration routes are available.
4. Products approved for subcutaneous injection should be administered with the tenting technique by lifting animal hide between fingers and injecting into the “tent.”
5. Avoid mixing products as this causes more tissue damage, reduces product efficacy and extends withdrawal times.
6. Ask your veterinarian about comparable tissue damage from different products.
7. Encourage promotion of tissue reaction information from pharmaceutical companies that manufacture injectable products.
The first step may be the biggest obstacle for dairy producers, Dr. Wallace says. “Typically, large groups of dairy cows are not run through squeeze chutes like beef cattle. Injections in cows tossing their heads while in the stanchion can be dangerous.”
Dr. Wallace believes more economic incentives are needed from buyers for diary personnel to justify the extra effort required to reduce hindquarter injections. This may be coming in the future since tracing antibiotic residues is currently being pursued in dairy market cow carcasses, he says. In the meantime,
“quality assurance is not an all-or-none situation, and partial improvements could be beneficial,” he concludes.