ideal candidates for culling.
They have actually been called “cull cows”.
From this kind of opinion many producers have lost valuable cash after selling the animals at give-away prices yet they could have waited to add value to the cows before off-loading them.
The truth is that cows that are past their prime can still add value to the dairy industry and are obviously worth a lot of dollars just like beef animals.
In reality, these cows can be slaughtered for beef.
Proceeds from the sold meat can be channelled towards the purchase of young stock or even feeds.
How to capture the cow’s lost value
Here are some of the few steps to help put more value in market cows:

1. Market in timely fashion – cows destined for the market but in poor body condition must be put on feed for a short time before marketing them. Feed some of the refusal feed from the milking string plus a little grain. This also gives the lame cows time to heal and attract a good price at the market.

2. Monitor costs – feeding cows from 70 to 90 days prior to marketing could add a lot of weight to the animal, which also results in a more desirable fat colour and gives producers the opportunity to watch for higher market price days to sell.
3. Consider implanting and feeding ionophores to market cows – treat them just as if they are beef animals.
If you do not want to utilise a special feeding programme, consider these quick hints to add value to market cows.
i. Do not sell lame cows.
ii. Do not sell thin, “shelly” cows.
iii. Make sure all antibiotics have been withdrawn for the proper amount of time.
iv. Follow a quality assurance programme and have market cows identified as having been through such a programme.
The bottom line is that following these procedures, along with preventing lesion losses and minimising bruising can help dairy farmers recapture more of the value from these market cows, help put a better product on the consumer’s plate and help keep the cow market a viable option in the future.

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