The Department of Agriculture has clarified the nitrates excretion status of dairy cull cows.

“If a cull cow moves to a non-milk producing herd, that cow defaults to a nitrates excretion rate of 65kg N/head/year, which is applicable to cattle [under] two years of age.

“A dairy cull cow that remains in a milk-producing herd is considered to be a dairy cow regardless of her lactation status.”

The clarification comes following concerns from some buyers who discovered cows purchased into their non-milking herds had retained their nitrates excretion rates from the dairy farm where they originated.