With scanning underway across the Waikato, now is the time for farmers to start thinking carefully about which cows to keep and which to cull. Making proactive, well‑informed culling decisions helps improve herd health, reduce mastitis risk, and support a stronger start to next season.

Which Cows Should Be Prioritised for Culling?

Where possible, target chronic mastitis cows first. Indicators include:

• High somatic cell count (SCC) over multiple seasons
• Failure to respond to dry cow therapy
• Three or more mastitis cases within a single season

Removing these cows helps set the herd up for better SCC performance and improved udder health going into the next lactation.

Other factors to consider include:

• Poor udder conformation
• Poor feet or leg structure
• Repeat health issues
• Long‑term performance problems

Your vet team can help you make the best decisions based on your herd’s specific history, system and goals.

Fitness for Transport: Know the Rules

Cull cows must be fit for the entire journey and moved without causing unreasonable pain or distress.

Cows are NOT fit for transport if they:

• Are sick
• Cannot fully bear weight on all four legs
• Are likely to calve during transport
• Have ingrown or broken horns that could injure others
• Have open or bleeding wounds
• Have cancer eye larger than a $1 coin or discharging

Cows may be fit for transport with a veterinary certificate if they:

• Are lame but still weight‑bearing
• Have healed or healing wounds
• Have cancer eye lesions under 2 cm and not discharging
• Have minor lumps, bumps or abnormalities

When the decision isn’t straightforward, we often take a photo or video and contact the works vet for guidance.

Certificates are valid for a maximum of seven days, and animals requiring certification should be transported to the closest processing facility.

Preventing Issues During Transport

An increasing concern is cull dairy cows going down with milk fever (hypocalcaemia) during transport or at the processor — sometimes resulting in severe injury. To help prevent this:

• Dry cows off before transport where possible
• Keep transport time as short as possible
• Discuss calcium and magnesium supplementation with your vet
• Remove cows from green feed 4–6 hours prior to transport
• Continue to offer roughage and water right up until loading

DairyNZ provides an excellent, farmer‑friendly chart to help determine if an animal is fit for transport:
👉 https://www.dairynz.co.nz/media/eheh2ovp/making-the-right-decision-for-cull-cows-web.pdf

In Summary

• Prioritise culling cows with chronic mastitis, persistent high SCC, and poor conformation
• Ensure every cull cow is clearly fit for transport
• Seek veterinary advice whenever a decision is unclear
• Be proactive with calcium and magnesium supplementation for older or full‑milk cows
• Use photos or videos where needed, and communicate with your vet and the works to ensure compliance and welfare

Thoughtful, timely culling decisions support animal welfare, herd performance, and a more efficient start to next season.

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