JFHMS Quality Assurance Practice Exam

Culling in herd management is the practice of removing animals from a herd based on predetermined criteria. This action is often taken to enhance the overall quality and productivity of the herd by eliminating individuals that do not meet specific standards. These standards can be related to health, age, reproductive performance, or productivity, among others. By focusing on the removal of underperforming or unhealthy animals, herd managers can ensure that the remaining animals contribute positively to the herd's genetic quality and overall profitability. This process facilitates better resource allocation since care and resources can be concentrated on the more productive animals, thereby improving the efficiency of the herd management system. In contrast, increasing the number of breeding animals, adding new animals for genetics improvement, and fattening animals for market all represent different strategies that do not encapsulate the essence of culling; each of these approaches aims to enhance productivity or profitability through introduction rather than elimination.