Learning to Cull the Herd
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Raising animals for any reason eventually ends with hard decisions about whether or not to keep stock. Eventually, you have to cull the herd.
-by Sherri Talbot RAISING LIVESTOCK ANIMALS FOR any reason — show, meat, eggs, fiber, or companionship — eventually ends up with making hard decisions about whether or not to keep stock. Since not all animals can be free to reproduce as they see fit, this means, eventually, some will have to be culled.
This may sound harsh since “culling” is often associated with killing. For those who find it an unnerving option, culling can be a difficult topic. Online marketplaces are swamped with roosters looking for homes, puppies from accidental breeding, and excess ram lambs that people are loathed to send for processing.
Learning to eat something you saw born and cared for can be hard and isn’t a lifestyle for everyone. However, culling doesn’t need to necessarily involve the death of the animal and it can have a lot to do with
the reason the animal isn’t working out for you.
Body conformation is a good place to start.
Animals born with poor conformation can ruin a breeding program. For those looking to produce healthy, quality animals, an unwanted animal not fitting the breed standards can be a drain on resources that could go to
higher-quality individuals. It’s a hard truth that most farmers and breeders — unless they’re running some type of non-profit rescue — can’t afford to provide for many animals not earning their keep in some way and will have to cull the herd.
If the conformation is severe enough to need regular medical care, this is a severe drain on resources. These animals need intensive time and attention, as well as financial support. Breeding these animals can also spread poor genetics to others in the species. In these cases, euthanasia may be the kindest option for both the animal and the farm.
For those animals with more moderate issues, a home where they can serve another purpose is always an option. Horses, goats, or chickens find work as companion animals to other livestock or therapy animals. We once rehomed unbreedable goats to a program for children from urban areas to learn about livestock. We suggest in these cases, the animal be spayed, neutered, or sold with a clear non-breeding contract when it’s time to cull the herd.
Too many boys is often a reason to cull the herd
Having the resources to offer breeding males to a wider audience isn’t always possible for small farms. Instead, these extras are frequently sold at auctions, given to people who advertise looking for free roosters, or abandoned in the woods by people who think they will somehow be better off. Before taking any of these steps, be aware these animals will almost certainly end up as food anyway. In these cases, they’ll do so without
your care for their well-being.
Learning to eat something you saw born and cared for can be hard and isn’t a lifestyle for everyone.
For smaller livestock, such as pigs or goats, working as land clearers may be an option. Pigs make excellent rototillers, and their rooting will not only turn up the ground but fertilize the ground for you as they go! Businesses using herds of goats for brush clearing are becoming more popular, especially in areas prone to fire damage. Neutered male goats tend to be eating machines and, in most breeds, wethering means a more docile animal. They’re less likely to have interpersonal squabbles in the group and less scent for customers to deal with while the browsers are visiting. This means brush cleaning organizations will sometimes be on the lookout for reasonably priced wethers to add to their herds.
Not enough room is a reason to cull the herd.
Many of us would love to be able to keep all of the animals we birth on our farms, but unfortunately, space is finite. Our pastures will only support so many animals, and we all have a feed budget we have to stick to.
Eventually, choices need to be made. Here, the end results for the animals who stay or go may be more diverse. The primary need is to decide ahead of time what your plans are for your breeding program and stick to those decisions. Write them down if it helps, and refuse to be swayed by that one really cute exception. One exception leads to another, and soon, your entire plan is out the window!
Developing such a plan can include a number of aspects. Reproductive capabilities, fast weight gain, fiber quality, or heartiness are some possible factors to consider. In all of these cases, you need to keep careful records and look annually at who’s meeting your standards and who needs to go. If you continue to have too many or few animals, it’s important to know where those guidelines can be moved.
For those animals not making the cut, remember they may very well fit someone else’s breeding plan perfectly. Such animals don’t need to be removed from breeding, they just need to be removed from your breeding program.
Culling the herd for behavioral issues is a good idea.
This is a hard area for people to make objective decisions. A previously excellent rabbit begins killing her kits. An excellent guardian rooster sees children as a threat. A ram who sires great lambs becomes violent
with family members. An excellent dairy goat begins attacking kids or goring other does.
In some of these cases, behavioral correction is possible. Roosters, especially, can get a bad name. However, to the rooster, a squealing child running after his hens is a threat, and teaching the children good farm manners is important. The rooster is simply doing what he’s supposed to do.
In other cases, the hormones of youth can cause rambunctious males to misbehave. Halter training, asserting your authority, and working with the animals can prevent or rectify the problem. However, this can take
time and firmness. Sometimes outside help can be useful. If all else fails, however, these animals should be considered for euthanasia or butcher.
Selling a poorly behaved animal may remove them from your barnyard, but only because it passes the issue along to someone else. In certain areas, if you aren’t completely honest with the buyer about the reasons for selling the animal, you may be liable. If you aren’t considered at fault, you can quickly develop a reputation with other local farmers. In a field, depending on the goodwill of other community members, you may consider that a bowl of homegrown chicken soup is the preferable result.
Sherri Talbot is the co-owner and operator of Saffron and Honey Homestead in Windsor, Maine. She raises endangered, heritage breed livestock and hopes someday to make education and writing on conservation breeding her full-time job. Details can be found at Saffron and Honey Homestead or on Facebook.
Originally published in the September/October 2023 issue of Countryside and Small Stock Journal and regularly vetted for accuracy.
