Strategies to Consider When Culling Cows in 2025
By: Brock Ortner, Nebraska Extension Livestock System Educator, Aaron Berger, Nebraska Extension Educator, Rick Rasby, Nebraska Extension Specialist

Following a spring with below-average precipitation for much of Nebraska, early indicators signal that drought is likely to persist. With limited forage production likely, producers should begin planning now for potential forage shortages. While hay remains relatively affordable, demand could rise if timely rainfall doesn't arrive. In response, producers can ease pressure on feed resources by developing a strategic cowherd depopulation plan. 

Having a depopulation plan allows for strategic cull cow marketing opportunities. Significant depopulation can make for challenging culling decisions. The following considerations can be used as a framework for depopulation decisions while setting up the cowherd and land base for success in future years.

Identify prime culling candidates first

  • Only take cow/calf pairs to grass. Non-pregnant cows or cows that have lost calves need to be culled.
  • Sell cows that have been identified as poor mothers, have unsound udders, teats, feet and legs, bad disposition, and other physical problems (early stages of eye cancer, etc.). Older cows should be checked to ensure they have a sound mouth and will be productive.

Use herd production records for data-driven decisions if more cows need to be culled

  • Identify nonproductive females in the herd. Use individual records to identify cows that have consistently weaned calves in the bottom end. Use the last two to three years of information to identify cows that rank in the bottom 10-25% in weaning weight and put these cows on the potential cull list. First and second calf females will usually wean the lightest calves. Use caution when considering placing these cows on a potential cull list.

Utilize pregnancy diagnosis and fetal sexing to provide additional information

  • Check cows for pregnancy soon after the breeding season. Experienced rectal palpaters can detect pregnancy when the fetus is between 45 and 60 days of age. Accuracy is critical as you do not want to sell a pregnant cow that was palpated as not pregnant. It is worth double checking the pregnancy status of cows identified as non-pregnant to ensure pregnant cows aren’t missed. To increase the accuracy of pregnancy determination, consider experienced ultrasound technicians. An experienced ultrasound technician can be quite accurate on a 30-to-35-day old fetus. Another method that can be utilized to identify pregnant cows is blood tests. However, false positives for pregnancy can occur with cows that have had early embryonic loss when using this approach. 
  • In addition to pregnancy determination, when ultrasound is performed roughly 55-80 days post-conception, it can also be used for fetal sexing. If further herd reduction may be needed, and there is a desire to grow the herd in the future through retained replacement heifers, knowing which cows are in-calf with heifers is a valuable decision-making tool.

Early weaning can save forage for the cow herd

  • Consider early weaning calves (60-90 days of age) from cows designated for culling after weaning if forage resources are limited. Consider also strategically early weaning calves from first-calf females. Every 2.5 days the calf is weaned equates to 1 more day of grazing for the cow. Nonlactating cows consume 20% less forage than lactating cows and the calf consumes about 1 to 1.5 percent of its body weight on a dry matter basis in forage. If the early weaned calves are retained, design a ration for the calves that is palatable, dust free, and cannot be sorted. Nebraska Extension Educators or Specialists can assist in developing growing rations for early-weaned calves.

Leverage calving distribution when deeper cuts are necessary

  • Use calving records over the last 2 calving seasons to identify mature (4-year- old and older) cows that continually calve late in the calving season. Mature cows that continually calve late are likely cows that don’t fit the resources. Their calves are also usually lighter at weaning, and their daughters are less likely to be retained as replacements for the herd. 

Final Considerations

With summer precipitation indicators signaling persistent drought, reducing stocking rates via culling can be approached with a plan rather than a reaction to reduced forage production. If a significantly larger number of cows are to be sold than is typical, consult your tax preparer or accountant to understand the potential tax consequences.

Source: Authored by: Brock Ortner & Aaron Berger, Nebraska Extension Educators, and Rick Rasby, Nebraska Extension Specialist.