BURLINGTON, Colo. — Every year cattle producers will go through and cull part of the cow herd. Cows are culled for a variety of reasons and marketed. The sale of these animals can equate to 20% of the annual income for the operation. To get the most value out of these market cows, producers need to keep a few things in mind before heading to the sale.
Cull cows purposely. Making a culling plan can help producers determine which cows need to be marketed. The top reasons for culling and marketing cows are being open at the end of the breeding season, advanced age, poor disposition, low production and other physical issues such as dental problems, udder issues or difficulties during calving.
Understand market cows will be harvested and processed for beef. Most will be harvested rather quickly after being sold. Unlike feeder cattle, they will not go to a feeding facility to increase weight or finish but will simply be fed for a few days and harvested in their current condition.
Younger cows with high amounts of muscling and adequate finish will be the highest value as they can yield the most beef. The beef from these market cows will be used for more than just ground beef. Primal and retail cuts can be harvested from them. If they are harvested under 42 months of age, they can still reach Choice and Prime quality grades. Females such as open heifers or first calf cows harvested less than 30 months of age can fit under many beef export age limits.
When preparing to bring cows to market, they should be in a good body condition. Cows that fall within a range of Body Condition Score (BCS) 4 to 6 will exhibit appropriate amounts of muscling and fat cover to yield the highest amounts of lean beef. Over conditioned cows with BCS from 7 to 9 will be discounted for having too much fat cover, which will be trimmed during harvest. Thin cows with BCS less than 4 will be discounted for having little harvestable lean beef.
Market cows should also be free of what are considered defects. Dry cows are valued higher than cows who were just taken away from their calves and still have the presence of milk in their udders. This is because during harvest and processing, milk is considered a contaminant on the beef carcass and any milk in the udder creates a potential for contamination. Cows should not have any structural issues or problems with locomotion either. A cow should have a mobility score of 1 which means she moves without any signs of lameness or injury. A mobility score 2 cow can be marketed, but buyers will discount due to the signs of possible injury or lameness which could increase as she is transported to a harvest facility. Those with mobility 3 or 4 should not be marketed.
Other signs of injury or illness, such as cancer eye, abscesses or other wounds will definitely have buyers cautiously bid low if they bid at all. Cows with these problems could be condemned if brought to a harvest facility and buyers are leery to take that chance. Treating these conditions prior to marketing or even euthanizing animals in extremely poor health would be the better options than going to market
Finally, don’t forget timing of the cow market. Seasonally, the market is highest in late winter through spring and into early summer. Prices will normally begin to decrease in October through December as large numbers of cows are culled and marketed during the fall and early winter as most producers do not want to feed cull cattle during winter.
Marketing cows is an important part of the income for the beef operation. Cows should be purposely culled and marketed in appropriate body condition, mobility, health and free of defects. Timing the marketing should also be considered. Effectively managing these factors can have a positive impact on the value of the marketed cows.
— Scott Stinnett, Area Extension Specialist
Colorado State University
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