By Aaron Berger and Brock Ortner, Nebraska Extension Livestock Educators
For many cow-calf operations in central and western Nebraska, significant culling may be required to match cow numbers to the forage available, not only for 2026, but also for the next few years. For operations that have spent generations building the type of cow they want, there is a strong commitment to retain a core of foundation females from which to rebuild the herd when it rains again.
Considerations and possible strategies to retain a core of females to rebuild a cowherd.
1. Conduct a comprehensive herd assessment
- What is the type and kind of cow that is in the operation now?
- Is that same type and kind of cow going to be a fit for the expected resources and environment going forward?
- Are environmental conditions likely to get easier or harder?
- Is a cow with greater resilience going to be needed?
- Is labor, equipment, and infrastructure going to be less or more expensive?
- Is there currently a core of the cowherd that fits the identified type and kind that it is desired for the future?
If a shift in breeding objectives is desired, now may be an opportune time to do it.
2. Identify primary culling candidates
- Cows without a calf, or those that have been poor producers, are the first to go.
- The second group is poor temperament, eyes, udders, feet, structure, as well as gimps, lumps, bumps, and significant dental deterioration. Most operations have already sold these cows.
After primary culling and candidate selection, the next question is which class of females will provide the greatest flexibility and profit potential should precipitation allow herd rebuilding?
3. Understand the class of female and income tax rate implications
Yearling heifers being bred this year and unweaned heifer calves will likely appreciate relative to their current market value. Additionally, young females are easier to manage than cows in a dry lot scenario. They can also be sold as feeders, should conditions dictate, and are candidates for price risk protection. Yearling heifers also lend themselves well to artificial insemination and the use of female-sorted sexed semen. This option could help to accelerate herd rebuilding.
4. Accounting for price relationships among available feedstuffs
The drought is somewhat unique in that grain prices and co-products are currently priced relatively inexpensively compared to what they have been at times historically. These energy- and protein-dense products can be purchased and fed, or cattle can be shipped to areas where these resources are readily available. Cattle prices are historically high compared with levels over the last decade. In contrast to scenarios with expensive commodities and inexpensive cattle, confinement feeding the core herd and/or replacement heifers may be justifiable.
5. Leverage reproductive management tools
The next step in considering which cows to keep is to take stock of where the cow herd is in the production cycle.
- Are cows pregnant, currently being bred, or calving now?
- Is it possible to partially delay selling decisions until females have an opportunity to be bred?
Ultrasonography pregnancy diagnosis can be a simple and cost-effective aid for cow retention decisions. Consider contacting your veterinarian well in advance of bull removal to arrange a pregnancy-determination date to expedite culling decisions and prolong forage availability. If future herd rebuilding is desired, early calving yearling heifers or cows carrying heifer calves should be considered for retention.
Being forced to destock and deciding which cows to sell and which ones to keep is a difficult process. Today’s market conditions and current commodity prices for grains and co-products create circumstances that differ from those seen in past droughts. For producers wanting to retain a core of genetics and rebuild the herd from within, the flexibility of keeping weaned heifer calves and yearling heifers, using ultrasound technology to early identify pregnancy and females carrying heifer calves, and leveraging sexed semen are strategies to consider.
