Culling Perspectives from Dairy Producers, Veterinarians, DHI and Feed Mill Advisers: A Q-methodology Study

Poster at ISVEE14 2015 in Merida, Mexico.

Statements used:

1: I have to consider amortizing materials, buildings, mechanics
2: Season of the year
3: I need room for replacement heifers
4: I think about herd/cow health first before cow longevity
5: If pregnant
6: I have replacement heifers available
7: I have to produce a healthy and secure milk
8: Cow's somatic cell count
9: Her annual production
10: Her lactational stage
11: If she ever had difficulties to calve
12: Her body condition score
13: Her daily production
14: Heifer price
15: If she had diseases after calving (e.g. retained placenta, metritis, milk fever)
16: Milk price
17: I had warnings for bulktank somatic cell count
18: Debts
19: Herd genetics
20: Her number of articial inseminations
21: Herd size
22: Her conformation
23: Her projected production for the current lactation
24: Cow welfare
25: I know which ones have chronic mastitis in the herd
26: Her gestational stage
27: There's a market for my heifers
28: Number of employees on the farm
29: I can always buy cow to market
30: She ever had clinical mastitis
31: I'm over- or under-milk production
32: Her age
33: Withdraw period for milk or meat
34: Milking parlour capacity
35: Ease of milking
36: Culling rate
37: Her udder conformation
38: Culled cow price
39:She's got abnormal milk
40: Cow genetics