The process of selecting and removing individuals from a herd, flock, or crop that do not meet specific standards for health, production, or genetics. In livestock, culling removes barren, sick, or aggressive animals to improve the overall efficiency of the herd. In horticulture, it involves discarding undersized or damaged produce before packing.
Heard on the job
We need to cull those three older cows this fall since they failed to breed back.
Insider tip
A cull (noun) refers to the animal or item removed, which is often sold at a lower price for secondary uses, like processing meat or juice.
Also heard as
- draft