| Due to a lack of national information about cull dairy cows, the USDA's National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) Dairy '96 Study investigated culling management practices. Operations included in the study represented 83.1 percent of U.S. milk cows. Most dairy cows were culled for reasons associated with their inability to profitably produce high-quality milk and calves; reasons for culling were not usually related to ill health or systemic disease. Results showed that almost all cull dairy cows in the US are intended for beef slaughter, as only about 4.4 percent were sent to other dairy operations. Nearly 77 percent of cows intended for beef slaughter were sent to markets, auctions, and sale barns, while 22 percent were sent straight to slaughter... |
