Herd turnover: how quickly animals leave the herd
Herd turnover measures how many animals leave through sales, culling, deaths and transfers over a given period. It is usually an annual percentage of the average herd size. Knowing your turnover helps you assess herd stability, plan how many replacements to rear and work out future feed needs.
How do you calculate herd turnover?
For example, if 12 animals leave during a year when your herd averages 100 animals, annual herd turnover is 12%: 12 ÷ 100 × 100.
How can HerdMobile help?
Use HerdMobile to track animal sales and changes in herd numbers, and note animals culled or lost. You can then check how many left during the period you are reviewing.
Questions from the farm
Is turnover the same as culling rate?
Herd turnover includes every animal that leaves: sales, culling, deaths and transfers out. Culling rate covers only animals removed by culling, so it measures just one part of overall herd turnover.
What is a useful herd turnover target?
A useful turnover target fits your farm's replacement plan. Compare your own figures from year to year, then check whether the number leaving matches the replacements you are rearing to join the herd.
How HerdMobile helps
Bring your animals, feed stocks and farm accounts together on your Android phone. HerdMobile keeps your daily work moving offline: record events, compare feed quantities and follow sales and payments in one place. Use your own feeds and herd information to prepare a ration, then keep a backup file under your control.
Review herd numbers, animal sales and notes on culling and deaths together to understand how many animals left over a given period.
