🟢 User Guide – Culling Indicators Monitor

Path

Reports > Animals > Culling > Indicators Monitor

This dashboard displays information related to the removal or sale of animals from the herd due to productive, reproductive, or health reasons. Analyzing these indicators helps improve herd longevity, reduce losses, and optimize animal selection.

1. Animals Culled in the Period

Definition: Number of animals removed or sold during the selected period.

Usefulness: Allows measuring herd turnover.

Example: If 4 animals are culled out of 120 in milking → 3.3% of the herd.

2. Number of Animals at Risk of Culling

Definition: Number of animals identified as potential candidates for culling due to age, reproductive issues, or health problems.

Usefulness: Serves as a preventive alert to anticipate replacements and plan purchases or retention of females.

3. Culling Rate (%)

Definition: Percentage of animals removed relative to the total herd.

Formula:

Culling Rate = (Animals Culled / Total Animals) × 100

Target: < 25% per year (in dairy systems).

Usefulness: Measures herd stability. High values indicate problems in reproduction, health, or management.

4. Average Age at Culling

Definition: Average age of animals when they are culled.

Target: > 5 lactations in dairy cows.

Usefulness: Measures productive longevity. Early culling implies a loss of investment in rearing.

5. Type of Culling

Definition: Classification of culling reasons:

• Reproductive (infertility, repeat breeders)
• Health-related (chronic diseases, mastitis)
• Age or low production

Usefulness: Helps identify the main causes of animal removal and define preventive actions.

6. Culls by Group

Definition: Distribution of culled animals according to the group they belonged to (milking, dry cows, transition, older cows).

Usefulness: Identifies at which stage of productive life most culls occur.

7. Animals Culled per Month (Time Chart)

Definition: Monthly trend of culls.

Usefulness: Detects seasonal peaks (e.g., higher culling during calving season) or management patterns.

8. Revenue from Culling per Month

Definition: Money obtained from the sale of culled animals.

Usefulness: Relates culling to cash flow from animal sales.

👉 Can help plan monthly cash flow and assess whether culling was a loss or an income opportunity.

📘 Quick Glossary

• Culling: Removal or sale of an animal due to low productivity, health problems, or age.
• Culling rate: % of animals removed during a period relative to the total herd.
• Average age at culling: Average age at which animals leave the system.
• Reproductive culls: Caused by fertility failures.
• Health-related culls: Caused by chronic or recurrent diseases.

🚀 How to Use This Dashboard in Practice

1. Check the culling rate → identify if your herd is within acceptable levels (<25% per year).
2. Look at the average age at culling → aim to extend cow lifespan (minimum 5 lactations).
3. Analyze the reasons for culling → focus actions on critical areas (e.g., more reproductive culls → review AI protocols, nutrition).
4. Monitor culls by group → identify at which stage more animals are lost.
5. Observe revenue from culling → relate removal to profitability (e.g., sales of culled animals can offset costs).
6. Use the list of potential culls → plan replacements and avoid surprises in future production.