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. 2023 Aug 28;7(1):txad102.
doi: 10.1093/tas/txad102. eCollection 2023.

A comprehensive characterization of longevity and culling reasons in Canadian Holstein cattle based on various systematic factors

Taiana Cortez de Souza  1   2 , Luis Fernando Batista Pinto  1 , Valdecy Aparecida Rocha da Cruz  1 , Hinayah Rojas de Oliveira  2   3 , Victor Breno Pedrosa  2 , Gerson A Oliveira Jr  3 , Filippo Miglior  3   4 , Flávio S Schenkel  3 , Luiz F Brito  2   3
Affiliations

A comprehensive characterization of longevity and culling reasons in Canadian Holstein cattle based on various systematic factors

Taiana Cortez de Souza et al. Transl Anim Sci. .

Abstract

The decision of premature culling cows directly impacts the profitability of dairy farms. A comprehensive characterization of the primary causes of culling reasons would greatly improve both management and selection objectives in dairy cattle breeding programs. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the temporal frequencies of 34 culling reasons in Canadian Holstein cows. After data editing and quality control, records from 3,096,872 cows culled from 9,683 herds spread across Canada were used for the analyses covering the periods from 1996 to 2020. Reproductive issues were the main culling reason accounting for 23.02%, followed by milk production (20.82%), health (20.39%), conformation problems (13.69%), economic factors (13.10%), accidents (5.67%), age-related causes (1.67%), and workability (1.63%). Nearly fifty-eight percent of cows were culled after 47 months of age. The observed frequencies of culling due to economic factors were lower than expected from 1996 to 2014 and higher than expected between 2015 and 2020. Reproduction issues had the highest culling frequencies during fall (24.54%), winter (24.02%), and spring (22.51%), while health issues were the most frequent (22.51%) culling reason in the summer season. Health issues (25.50%) and milk production (27.71%) were the most frequent culling reasons in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario, respectively. Reproductive issues showed the highest frequency across climates based on the Köppen climate classification, except for Csb (Dry-summer subtropical or Mediterranean climate) and Bsk (Middle latitude steppe climate), which correspond to small regions in Canada, where production was the most frequent culling reason (29.42% and 21.56%, respectively). Reproductive and milk performance issues were the two main culling reasons in most ecozones, except in Boreal Shield and Atlantic Marine, where health issues had the highest frequencies (25.12 and 23.75%, respectively). These results will contribute to improving management practices and selective decisions to reduce involuntary culling of Holstein cows.

Keywords: dairy cow; durability; herd replacement; productive life; reproductive failure; stayability.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Distribution of culling reasons by year in Canadian Holstein cows.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Distribution of culling reasons by season in Canadian Holstein cows.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Distribution of culling reasons in the four main dairy production provinces in Canada.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Distribution of culling reasons by climatic regions in Canada (BSk = Middle Latitude Steppe climate (Cold semi-arid), Cfb = Marine West Coast climate (Oceanic), Csb = Subtropical or Mediterranean climate (dry and cool summer), Dfa = Humid and hot summer Continental climate, Dfb = Humid and cool summer Continental climate, Dfc = Subarctic climate, and ET = Tundra climate).
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Distribution of culling reasons by ecoregions in Canadian Holstein cows.
Figure 6.
Figure 6.
Distribution of culling reasons by age classes in Canadian Holstein cows.
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