Non-ambulatory cattle have very little value. Udder soundness is a very important aspect to consider when making culling decisions. A good quality udder has good udder suspension with evenly spaced, refined teats that point straight down. Pendulous udders and large funnel shaped teats make cows good cull candidates. Mastitis is also a problem to the beef cow-calf producer.
Research shows that mastitis results in significantly lower weaning weights.
Dry quarters can also be a problem especially in older cows. A study found that cows with one or two dry quarters had calves with weaning weights that were 50 to 60 pounds lighter than those with no dry quarters. Body condition is a good factor to use in order to select those cows that should be culled. Cows that are too thin may have difficulty surviving the winter. They may also have problems with re-breeding.