# Culls



## Xtra (Jan 1, 2010)

I was asked what I do with my "culls", and it made me wonder.....

What do you do with your "culls"?
What are traits you "cull" for?

Definition:
Cull 
_n._ Something picked out from others, especially something rejected because of inferior quality.

Christina


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## Horsehair Braider (Mar 11, 2011)

Mostly what happens to mine is they go in the freezer. But it depends. Sometimes I sell them. 

Just like most people, I have goals, and just one would be good milk production. If a doe does not have enough production for my own particular goals, that is a goat that I would attempt to sell first. However if the goat is a cull due to a deformity at birth, a health issue that can not be resolved, or some other heartache that I feel is not ethical to keep alive or to sell to someone else, that goat goes in the freezer. 

So I cull based on whether or not an animal is healthy and whole, does not have health issues or other chronic problems that spell nothing but heartache, and whether or not they meet my goals as a breeder. Pretty much in that order. The first issues, they will go in the freezer. The second, I will sell, because they might be the perfect animal for someone else. Maybe she's a color I don't like. Or her ears are not to my satisfaction. Something that might be the perfect goat to someone else, who is looking at different things.


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## Tim Pruitt (Oct 26, 2007)

You should cull for extra teats or any other abnormalities. Cull for poor udder attachment, bad toplines, steep rumps, weak pasterns or anything that has to do with the utility of the goat. 

What to do with them? Eat them, goat meat is 40% less fat than chicken without the skin. Sell them to a meat market.
Neuter unneeded bucks - they can be sold as meat, pets, or for clearing brush. Some can be sold to the youth for 4H projects. Craigs list, or "gasp" even auctions. Even extra teated goats can be sold (unregistered and with disclosure of course) to people just wanting a pet or scrub animals - lots of boer and spanish goats have extra teats.


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## H Diamond Farms (Jun 3, 2011)

I try and sell my culls first( CL, FB, etc). If I can't get them sold, they go to the sale barn with my meat cross kids. I can't justify trying to sell for very long since each day they live at my place they are costing me.


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## dragonlair (Mar 24, 2009)

As was mentioned above, I cull for poor production, health issues and conformation defects that would cause problems with the animal. Depending on the reason, I either sell or ship to a dealer.


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## informative (Aug 24, 2012)

I would have thought extra teats would mean more milk. 

It's a mutant with 19 teats! Just look at all that milk!


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## Caprine Beings (Sep 19, 2008)

Besides conformation I also go off of temperament. Is the animal loud, aggressive, unwilling to do what they need to do? 

I have had some does that just were absolutely snarky. Nasty bitties that wouldn't let youngers eat, or were constantly stalking...they went. Some lines we have had have been extremely noisy (Nubian and alpine) and where we live in town...they went. Some have been aggressive to Lindsey, they went. We just cannot have disobedient goats when Lindsey is concerned. I do not care how nice your udder is or if you are the best in conformity, fit in or you go.

It keeps the culling list pretty darn easy and when you can only have so many that makes even better. Unfortunately we are now at the point of good conformity so its mostly behaviors that will get you culled.
Tam


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## smithurmonds (Jan 20, 2011)

Caprine Beings said:


> Is the animal loud, aggressive, unwilling to do what they need to do?


Absolutely- I won't keep a goat I don't enjoy working with. I enjoy my milking routine and a doe that is unpleasant to live with or milk has no place here.


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## Horsehair Braider (Mar 11, 2011)

Tam has a great point and I've often had people showing me their animals and saying things like, "This one bites, this one you can't turn your back on, this one you have to drag onto the milk stand" etc. and finally I have to ask - Why are you keeping that animal? Those are the ones that taste the best! :biggrin

It can come down to how many animals you have. If all you have is two pet goats, then you might be able to put up with an animal that constantly causes trouble. If you are taking care of 100... you simply have not got the time. If they are causing trouble, they have to go. The vast majority don't cause trouble. If they are really difficult in your situation, they are great to sell because often, when they go to a new place with different management, they mend their ways and are no longer such a pill. However, they do actually taste really good.


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## jasonmtapia (Apr 3, 2010)

Mmmmm.....Goat tasty! 

Re the extra teats, do you think the young bucks are like: "ooh, check out the doe with the extra teat!" 

Or:" Grose, check out the doe with the extra teat!" 

As for me put her in the freezer I only have two hands.


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## goatkid (Oct 26, 2007)

The first thing culled for here are bucklings I'm not keeping to improve my breeding. I first offer them for sale as herd sires, weed eaters or pets. If not sold, they go to the meat man. Next is doelings who have conformity problems. I had one with a slight parrot mouth this year. Because she comes cheap without papers, I have a few people wanting her as a pet. Next, I can only keep so many goats on my budget. DH gets his favorite, my 9 year old Snubian - not top show material herself, but she produces really nice daughters when bred Alpine. She also milks very well for an older doe. I then have to select my nicest does and doelings to keep and I find other homes for the rest. One thing I have culled for in the past is behavior on the milk stand. I refuse to continue wrestling with a doe after I've worked with her a few weeks. I have only so much time to do chores before work, so milking has to go smoothly. I've never had any other behavior problems with dehorned does, but I did culll a buck with a nice pedigree because of his aggression.


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

This is a good thread.

But I have to say, the definition of "cull" in the OP, doesn't really get to the point. Let's be more blunt: Cull to one person means sell them off, cull to another means kill them.

So if you have a doeling with an abnormality, say parrot mouth like Kathie mentioned, or legs that are not right, do you kill her?


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## fmg (Jul 4, 2011)

Parrot mouth, if not severe, and they don't have trouble eating or growing, well, I might still eat that one or take it to the sale barn...or if someone contacts me looking for an unregistered goat that they ONLY want for milking, I MIGHT sell that one, with no papers.

Bad legs, depends how severe, but I would probably tend to keep for a little bit and make sure it was not caused by some sort of mineral deficiency or could be corrected. A severe leg issue is going to impact that goat for life if it doesn't get better, and I would not sell a goat that currently had an issue. I would probably sell them registered if I could get them over it (or keep for myself if that was my plan). If the problem didn't correct, that goat would be eaten. If I was able to get the goat better, I might be inclined to repeat the breeding and try and decide if it was a genetic issue or environmental.

I will not keep a buckling intact with any issue like this.


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Culling bucks is easier for me than with the baby girls. If a buck is not just perfect, he can be castrated and sold or eaten. Either way he will not have the chance to procreate when he leaves my farm. No worries that he will somehow breed and make more faulty kids. For does with severe faults, you can sell them without papers, but there is a chance that someone will buy this goat down the road and get her registered NOA with ADGA. Then the goat I culled will be actively adding to the gene pool.


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