Culling is the practice of removing unproductive, sick, or poor-quality animals or birds from a flock or herd.
In poultry, farmers cull birds that are not laying eggs, show signs of disease, or have poor body condition. In livestock, culling may target animals with low milk yield, infertility, or genetic defects.
Regular culling helps maintain healthy, productive stock and reduces the spread of disease. Farmers often sell culled animals for meat to recover some value.
See also: Debeaking, Poultry management, Livestock breeding, Herd health, Disease control