Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 13, 2026

The Use of an Automated System (GreenFeed) to Monitor Enteric Methane and Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Ruminant Animals
Published on: September 7, 2015
Dynamics of culling risk with disposal codes reported by Dairy Herd Improvement dairy herds
P J Pinedo1, A De Vries, D W Webb
1Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
Abstract:
The objective was to describe the dynamics of culling risk with disposal codes for Holstein dairy cows reported by herds enrolled in the Dairy Herd Improvement program. Dairy producers could report 1 of 9 possible disposal codes or forego reporting a code. After edits, 3,629,002 lactation records were available for cows calving between 2001 and 2006 in 2,054 herds located in 38 states primarily east of the Mississippi river. The distribution of culled cows by disposal code was estimated by parity, days after calving, pregnancy status, cow-relative 305-d mature equivalent milk yield, herd-relative 305-d mature equivalent milk yield, and season. Of all herds, 57% reported all 8 different disposal codes excluding the codes dairy purposes and reason not reported. Hazard (risk) functions were calculated by parity, from 1 to 520 d since calving for open cows and from 1 to 280 d since conception for pregnant cows. Annualized live culling rate and death rate (reported code was death) were 25.1 and 6.6%, respectively. The primary disposal code was died (20.6% of all culling), followed by reproduction (17.7%), injury/other (14.3%), and low production and mastitis (both 12.1%). The risk of culling with various disposal codes varied with stage of lactation. Died and reproduction were the most frequently reported codes for cows leaving the herd during early and late lactation, respectively. Early lactation was also a critical period for culling with the disposal codes injury/other and disease, and the risk increased with days after calving for the codes low production and reproduction. The risk of culling with the disposal code died showed the greatest seasonal pattern with increased risk of death in spring and summer. A negative association was found between annualized live culling and death rates within herds. Compared with open cows, pregnant cows had a lower risk of culling with all reported disposal codes. In addition, the risk of culling was lower in high-producing cows with all disposal codes. In conclusion, the risk for culling by disposal code varied by parity, stage of lactation, season, pregnancy status, and milk yield.
Related Concept Videos
Censoring Survival Data
Investigation of Disease Outbreaks
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP)
Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast, controlled...
Conservation of Declining Populations
Life Histories

