Culling?

[southb]

And by culling, what is meant is that I sell the normals as pets or give them to local schools. I DO NOT KILL. To me, you should never kill any snake.

[LadyOhh]

And by culling, what is meant is that I sell the normals as pets or give them to local schools. I DO NOT KILL. To me, you should never kill any snake.

Then that would not be culling in the sense that we are referring to...

[mainbutter]

Dogs are much harder to unload than ball pythons, because there is such a surplus of them around. Anything imperfect and less-than-show-quality is just as hard to find an owner for as dogs at a shelter. Unfortunatly since these breeders make a business out of it and compete in a world with such surplus, culling is the financially logical option. This is partly why I will never buy from dog breeders, even the good guys of the business who don't cull and take good care of the dogs.. Supporting part of the business helps keep the business as a whole.

Ball pythons, even normal males, are pretty easy to find homes for(even if you don't make much or any $ out of finding that home) just about anywhere in the US, and I don't know anyone who culls based on anything other than deformities that impact an animal's health, though I have heard of it happening.

[southb]

Then that would not be culling in the sense that we are referring to...

exactly....Culling means different things depending on who you ask.

[MarkS]

exactly....Culling means different things depending on who you ask.

No, it doesn't. It means what it is defined as. People don't have the option of creating their own definition.

To reduce or control the size of (as a herd) by removal (as by hunting) of especially weaker animals ; also : to hunt or kill (animals) as a means of population control

[pitbulls4me]

I understand culling from a point of deformities and health issues but for looks and what I do not. With dogs, I understand it to a point. I dont think a lot of people out their breeding dogs should be breeding them. The only breeder i would buy from woul be a working dog breeder (one who doesn't show but uses the dog for its original purpose and proves its working ability before breeding).

I think maybe snake breeders dont cull either because they are easier to house than say 10 puppies. Either way I am thrilled that it is not practiced by snake breeders.

Thansk everyone for their input as well.

[southb]

No, it doesn't. It means what it is defined as. People don't have the option of creating their own definition.

Bill Clinton can! .....as well as most other politicians.....so why can't we?

[stevenkeogh]

Bill Clinton can! .....as well as most other politicians.....so why can't we?

A word becomes a word when enough of the population uses it in a specific sense. Same goes with a definition.
You are the minority and by this logic your use of the word is inappropriate at best.
Get a dictionary, or become a politician.
-Steven

[kc261]

OK, this is annoying me. I agree that the way the word cull was being used in the context of this thread should have been obvious. However, there is nothing wrong with what southb said; all of you jumping on him for using it wrong are the ones that are wrong.

I think it was especially ridiculous of MarkS to post the 2nd definition to prove his point, and pretend the 1st definition doesn't exist. Here is what it really says at Merriam-Webster.com:

1: to select from a group : choose <culled the best passages from the poet's work> 2: to reduce or control the size of (as a herd) by removal (as by hunting) of especially weaker animals ; also : to hunt or kill (animals) as a means of population control

According to dictionary.com, neither Random House nor the American Heritage Dictionary even have the word "kill" (or anything synonymous) in their definition at all.

Random House:

–verb (used with object) 1. to choose; select; pick. 2. to gather the choice things or parts from. 3. to collect; gather; pluck.
–noun 4. act of culling. 5. something culled, esp. something picked out and put aside as inferior.

American Heritage:

tr.v. culled, cull·ing, culls 1. To pick out from others; select. 2. To gather; collect. 3. To remove rejected members or parts from (a herd, for example).
n. Something picked out from others, especially something rejected because of inferior quality.