The need to reduce cattle numbers on some Oklahoma ranches actually comes at a time in the cattle cycle when the prices for cows and culled replacement heifers are fair and allow for some capital investment to be used when cattle prices are considerably lower.  Therefore it seems appropriate to examine the cow herd as to which individuals should most appropriately be culled in the “down sizing” actions. 

         Below is a suggested order of culling in the face of diminishing forage supplies and a need to reduce cattle numbers to allow native ranges to regain range condition.

Culling order

1. Open (Non-pregnant) old cows
2. Open replacement heifers
3. Old cows with unsound mouth, eyes, feet and legs
4. Open cows of any age
5. Thin cows over 7 years of age  (BCS < 4)
6. Very late bred 2 year olds
7. Healthy bred cows that are over 7 years of age
8. Healthy bred young cows 2 or 3 year old
9. Healthy bred 4 to 7 year old cows

         The first two items on the list are automatic culls in any forage year.  Old open cows are not worth keeping through an expensive winter season.  Replacement heifers that were properly developed and mated to a fertile bull or in an a well organized AI program should be pregnant.  If they are not bred, there is a likelihood that they are reproductively unsound and should be removed from the herd while still young enough to go to the feedlot and grade choice with an A maturity carcass.  The more difficult decisions come when the producer is short enough in forage and feed supplies that he/she feels the need to cull cows that have been palpated and found pregnant.  That order of culling starts with line 5 on our culling order.  This is necessary only when grass and feed supplies are very short.  The last cattle to cull or conversely the first choice to save on the ranch are those most productive 4 to 7 year old cows that have rebred and will produce big calves next year.