cull
An animal pulled from the herd for being old, weak, or not worth keeping.
Updated September 21, 2026
cull pronunciation
/KUL/
Meaning
On a farm, a cull is the one you take out of the bunch: a hen that quit laying, a ewe past breeding, a cow that ain't earning her feed. As a verb, you cull the flock when you sort keepers from castoffs. The cull may get sold, butchered, or just moved off the breeding list. Country talk also stretches it to people or junk that didn't make the cut.
How folks use it
- “We're eating that cull hen Sunday. She ain't laid in a month.”
- “He culled three steers out of the pen before the sale.”
Origin and etymology
From older English cull meaning to pick or select, related to collecting or gathering the chosen ones. Farm English flipped it toward the rejects: animals drafted out as inferior or too old. Appalachian speakers still use both the verb and the noun that way when talking livestock and produce.
Frequently asked questions
Does cull always mean kill?
No. It means remove from the breeding or keeping group. That animal might get sold, butchered, or just not bred again.